Amongst the Stars Season 1
by FandomCollaboration
Summary: Rose Tyler's life was very organised and very repitative. Until one night she meets a strange man who blows up her work place. Rose's life becomes chaotic and incredible as she embarks on a crazy adventure with a man called the Doctor. First story in the Amongst the Stars series. SuperWhoLock crossover fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Welcome to Amongst the Stars! The first story in the God-knows-how-long series! The series is full of different fandoms including Doctor Who, Supernatural and Sherlock. Other fandoms could make an appearance but we'll have to wait and see! I'm not sure how often this will be updated – hopefully I'll be able to update at least once a month! Please let me know what you think of the story – I would really appreciate it!

* * *

Amongst the Stars

Chapter 1: Born to Run

" _Cause I'm hungry for adventure, And I'm fed up with this grind, If I don't get some_ _excitemen_ _t_ _soon, I'm gonna lose my mind, I want a life that's filled with thrills, That's wild and free, There's gotta be something better, Something better, There's gotta be something better than this for me."_

 _\- The Muppets Treasure Island; Something Better_

* * *

"Go back." The warrior spoke in the broken voice. "Go back to your lives. Go and be the Doctor that I could never be. Make it worthwhile."

"All those years, burying you in my memory," murmured the youngest of the two.

"Pretending you didn't exist." said the oldest. "Keeping you a secret, even from myself,"

"Pretending you weren't the Doctor, when you were the Doctor more than anybody else,"

"You were the Doctor on the day it wasn't possible to get it right,"

"But this time,"

"You don't have to do it alone."

The two Doctors placed their hands with the Warrior's, on the big red button. The three of them united.

The Warrior, so grateful, whispered, "Thank you."

"What we do today is not out of fear or hatred. It is done because there is no other way."

"And it is done in the name of the many lives we are failing to save."

* * *

Rose hurried around the flat, zipping up her jacket and throwing her lunch into her bag when her mother, Jackie, handed it to her.

"Right then, how do I look?" Rose and Jackie glanced over at the young man who walked into the kitchen. He spread his arms wide indicating to the cheap suit he had borrowed from a friend for the day. The shirt hadn't been ironed, and the tie was crooked.

"Handsome as always," Jackie cooed at her son. Sebastian playfully rolled his eyes while Rose fixed up his tie. "Just remember to not get too cocky in there, alright? We don't want a repeat of what happened with you and Gary Kane."

Rose fought back a sigh. Jackie Tyler considered it the norm now – Sebastian Moran attending court for petty crime – Rose, however, believed that one day her half-brother would find himself in too deep.

"I better go for the bus," said Rose, giving Jackie a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You not want a lift?" Sebastian asked with a mouth full of toast.

"Nah, you're all right." Rose grabbed her keys from the kitchen table, before turning back to Sebastian to point a finger. "And I better come home tonight and see you, yeah?"

Sebastian grinned. "Yeah, you will, don't worry about it."

Rose smiled at him; despite her constant worrying, Sebastian always got off lightly. Rose headed towards the front door, calling "Bye – See you later!" before heading off to work.

* * *

Rose sighed as the lift made it's journey down to the basement. It had been a long day at work, and all Rose wanted to do was go home. Sebastian had called her during her lunch break to let her know that court went fine, and that they were having a Chinese to celebrate. Just as Rose was about to walk out the shop, Nick – the security guard – handed her an envelope full of money. An envelope full of money that Rose had to take down to the basement for the shop's chief electrician, Wilson.

The lift's doors slowly opened, to reveal the dim basement corridor. Rose edged out, hoping that Wilson would just be there so that she could leave quickly. Rose had only been in the basement a handful of times but she wasn't keen on it. She always found herself imagining that someone would jump out wielding a knife at her down there – mostly because when she first started working at the shop, Sebastian had told her creepy things that could happen in the basement. Big brothers are douchebags like that.

"Wilson?" Rose called down the corridor. Silence replied. "Wilson – I've got the lottery money." Rose glanced around the corridor, but Wilson hadn't popped out. "Wilson? Look, I can't hang about, they're closing up the shop."

Rose wandered down the corridor, hoping Wilson would appear soon. "Oh come on," she muttered to herself. Rose glanced back at the lift, wondering if she should just head back up and give Nick the money back. Rose was about to do so, but then she heard a door open at the other end of the corridor. "Hello, Wilson?" she called. "Wilson, it's Rose."

Rose grew more alert and frowned at the lack of response. She cautiously made her way down the corridor, glancing around for Wilson – for _anyone –_ as she did. "Wilson?" Shuffling noises and whispers seemed to erupt from behind a storage room door. "W-Wilson?" Rose grimaced at the door, debating whether or not she should go inside. _What could happen?_ She tried to reassure herself. She pushed the door open to reveal darkness. Surly, if anyone was in the storage room they wouldn't hang around in the pitch black? Rose paused for a moment, again debating if she should advance further into the room. _Just come out, Wilson, so I can leave._ When nobody seemed to appear, Rose flicked on the lights.

"Wilson?" The room seemed to be empty. The only things in there were cardboard boxes and mannequins – a lot of mannequins. When Rose was younger, Sebastian told her that mannequins came to life at night, she had believed him and feared the dummies for years. It wasn't until she became a teenager that the fear faded. She walked down the long corridor of the room, calling out Wilson's name.

Rose went over to another door in the room and pulled hard on the handle, only to find it locked. As she considered leaving again, the main door slammed shut. Rose's eyes widened and she ran back towards the door to pull it open but it had been locked as well. Someone had locked it. "Come on, come on," she muttered fearfully.

Suddenly, something rattled from the side of the room, forcing Rose to steady her breathing, and make her way slowly through the room. "Is that someone mucking about?" She demanded. It had to be someone. "Who is it?" Another sound came from behind – a sound Rose didn't recognise. She abruptly turned around, and saw one of the mannequins turn it's head towards her. Rose held her breath. She was scared and fascinated and awestruck all at once. Had she seen that right? Did she imagine it? Slowly, the mannequin tilted it's head from side to side studying the blonde girl in front of it. Rose wondered if this was part of a joke – if someone had tied the head to string and was moving it around to scare her. The thought seemed comforting to Rose – how else could it be happening? But then the mannequin's body shifted forwards, and began walking towards Rose.

"Okay," Rose's voice shook as she spoke. "Okay, you got me, very funny-"

The dummy continued walking towards her, and others from around the room seemed to do the same. All of them seemed to be limping over to her. Rose knew that the whole thing was too huge for someone to pull off, but she remained hopefully that it was just a prank.

"Right, I've got the joke!" She yelled, growing more frightened, as she began backing up away from the plastic bodies. "Whose idea was this? Is it Derek? Is it?" Rose prayed that it was the store prankster, who the other staff often complained about. "Derek, is this you?" The whole thing seemed a bit too clever for Derek's simple mind, a bit far beyond fake spiders in the lifts.

Rose quickly turned into an empty part of the room between boxes and clothing racks, watching the dummies make their way towards her. Every single one in the room was alive and moving – faster and faster it seemed.

Rose backed up against the wall – the exits were locked and on the other side of the room – she didn't know what to do. Dead, white eyes stared down on her, and Rose forced herself to stare back. Slowly, the dummy closet to her raised it's arm and Rose knew that it was preparing to strike and slice through her. She closed her eyes – there was no way out – she waited for death as calmly as she could, telling herself in her head that it'll all be over soon, and then -

A hand grabbed hers tightly. A warm, soft hand. A human hand.

Rose's eyes snapped open to see who was there. A man. A man, Rose had never seem before. A man with short black hair, a long face and big ears.

"Run!"

The man pulled Rose round a corner, just as the mannequin's hand came down onto the pipes. Rose and the man ran through the corridor, through a door, and down another corridor. The dummies were following them – faster than they had been in the storage room (they were clearly somehow gaining energy). Rose glanced behind her, about ten of them where following. The man didn't look back once, he just continued to run, his hand tight around Rose's – like he was reassuring her that he was going to get her out. Rose hoped he'd get her out.

They ran through another door, into a corridor with a lift. The man pulled Rose inside, and pushed her to the very back. The dummies where at the doors, as they began to close – one of them managed to get it's arm through and the man grabbed hold of it – tugging it. Rose pushed her body back against the wall, watching as the man pulled the arm off, and the lift doors closed.

"Y-you pulled his arm off?" Rose was confused – how had that happened? Had what she just experienced even been real?

"Yup." replied the man, unfazed from all that had gone on. He threw the arm at Rose, who caught it. It was solid plastic – not flesh like she had suspected – _plastic_. "Plastic." The man confirmed.

It was a joke then, Rose thought. It actually was someone playing a joke. And this man was involved. "Oh, very clever," she said sarcastically. "Nice trick. Who were they then, students?" Secondary school students were always pulling off things like this, and university students did similar things in protest. "Is this a student thing?"

The man crossed his arms and frowned. "Why would they be students?" So...he _wasn't_ in on it?

"I don't know." Rose wanted answers, this man must have some – why else was he in the shop's basement.

"Well you said it, why students?"

"'Cos..." Rose struggled to find an explanation. "To get that many people, all dressed up and being stupid, they've got to be students." _Pathetic, Tyler._

Rose wished that Sebastian could've been with her in that moment. Sebastian would have had a brilliant theory and explanation behind his theory that wouldn't have made Rose look like an idiot.

The man smiled at her. "That makes sense. Well done." He praised, turning his gaze to the lift doors.

"Thanks." Rose didn't know if she should be genuine or sarcastic.

"They're not students." So the man _did_ know something, he must have been in on it.

"Well, whoever they are," Rose said confidently, trying to scare him. "When Wilson finds them, he's gonna call the police."

The man turned back, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "Who's Wilson?"

"Chief electrician,"

The lift doors opened. "Wilson's dead."

Rose's eyes widened in shock and she watched the man walk out of the lift. Had she heard right? Did he actually just say that Wilson is dead? Rose stormed out of the lift and towards the man who had turned his attention onto lift button.

"Why would you say that?" she demanded. "That's not funny – that's _sick-"_

"Hold on," the man interrupted, pushing Rose gently back and pulling something that looked like a large pen from his jacket pocked. "Mind your eyes."

"I've had enough of this-" a blue light glowed out of the object in the man's hand as he pointed it at the lift button. "Oh!" There was a small explosion and sparks flew from the button. The man jolted away from the lift. "Who are you then? Who's that lot down there?"

The man ignored her, and Rose ran after him – he was strange, and seemed to be part of whatever was going on, but he had gotten Rose out of the storage room and she felt as though she should trust him

"I said, who are they?"

Rose followed the man through another corridor. "They're made of plastic," he explained. "Living plastic creatures, and they're being controlled by a relay device in the roof," Rose struggled to keep up with what the man was saying – living _plastic_ creatures that were controlled by something on the shop _roof_? "Which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this-" The man pulled out what Rose could only describe as a box with a timer and a mobile phone keypad tapped to it, but she knew it was a _bomb_. The man led Rose towards the fire exit as he continued to quickly explain what was going on. "-so I'm gonna go upstairs and blow it up-" He pushed the fire door open and guided Rose outside, the cold air hitting her face. "-and I might well die in the process but don't you worry about me, no. You go home, go on, go and have your lovely beans on toast." Rose looked at the bomb, he had to be joking, none of what he was saying could be true. He couldn't be on his way to the shop roof, to blow it up and possibly kill himself doing so – what sort of person would do that? "Don't tell anyone about this, cos if you do, you'll get them killed."

And on that note, the man slammed the door shut. Rose blinked and looked around the back alley of the shop. She realised she still had hold of the plastic arm. The door suddenly opened again and the man leaned out and smiled. "I'm the Doctor, by the way, what's your name?"

"Rose."

"Nice to meet you, Rose." The man's smile, turned into a grin and he waved the bomb at her. "Run for your life!"

* * *

" _-t_ _he whole of central London has been closed down-"_

"Seriously though, you sure you didn't hit your head or anything? You said you were across the road – something could've been thrown at you!"

"I'm fine Seb, really, just a bit shocked."

"I know! It's on the telly!" Jackie handed Rose a cup of tea while talking to Lord-knew-who on the phone. Sebastian sat with Rose on the sofa, the News playing in the background, showing footage of the shop now on fire. The man had actually blown it up, like he had said he planned to do. Rose had arrived home to a distraught family, all thinking she had been caught up in the blast. "She's lucky to be alive," Rose tried not to roll her eyes at her mother's exaggeration. "Honestly, it's aged her, skin like a bible – Seb go and get some water and sleeping pills for her, she'll need them tonight." Rose remained quiet as Sebastian made his way out the living room. Jackie looked up from Rose when she heard the front door open and close. "Oh, and here's himself-" she muttered following her son into the kitchen when Rose's shocked boyfriend rushed over to her.

"I've been phoning your mobile, you could've been dead! It's on the news – I can't believe it was your shop!" He wrapped his arms around Rose, pulling her into a hug.

"I'm okay – look, Mickey, I'm fine – don't make a fuss."

Mickey pulled away, still shocked and revealed that Rose was alive. "But what happened? What was it?"

"I dunno," Rose lied. "I wasn't in the shop, I was outside,"

Sebastian came back into the living room, nodding at Mickey. "I put the water and pills in your room, all right?" He told Rose. "At least you get to have a lie-in tomorrow, eh?" Rose smiled at her brother's attempts to cheer her up.

"'Ere, Rose!" Jackie came back in with the phone. "It's Debbie-on-the-end," Sebastian grimaced. Debbie had a daughter, a few years old than Rose, who Sebastian had briefly dated and broken the heart of. "She says she knows a man on the _Mirror,_ five hundred quid for an interview."

Rose grew slightly annoyed. "Oh that's brilliant," She said with false enthusiasm, she held out her hand, indicating to the phone. "Give it here."

Jackie handed her the phone, and Rose hung it up and threw it down on the coffee table. Jackie sighed. "Well you've got to find some way of making money, your job's kaput and I'm not bailing you out."

"If Debbie calls back, Mum, tell her I'll do the interview," said Sebastian. "I'll pretend I was there waiting for Rose."

"Yeah, but you were out with that Mitchell Smith, and you know what he's like – he'll grass you up and you'll lose more than the five hundred quid."

"What're you doing with Mitchell Smith?" asked Rose forcefully.

"Just a bit of business," said Sebastian vaguely. "Just as well I am."

"Mitchell Smith robbed Mr. Keswick's flat last month."

"Yeah, but me and the boys made him take all the stuff back it's fine."

The phone rang again, and Jackie jumped to grab it. "Bev! She's alive – I told her, sue for compensation..."

Jackie's voice trailed off as she retreated into the kitchen.

Rose ran a hand through her hair, when Mickey tugged on her arm. "Come on, let's go down the pub – you need a proper drink."

"No, I'm all right." Rose dismissed. Her head was bouncing, and she could do without a hangover.

"No, come on, you're in shock, you need something stronger than tea, my treat."

"There's a match on." Sebastian told Rose. Mickey sent him a quick glare.

"Don't listen to him, babe – I'm thinking of you."

Rose gave him a little smile. "There's a match on."

"That's not the point." Rose raised an eyebrow and Mickey cracked. "But we could catch the last five minutes if we get a move on."

Rose gave a small laugh – relieved that she had an accuse for not going that Mickey couldn't argue with. "Go on, you go. I'm fine really, I'm gonna have an early night." Mickey rose from the couch. "And get rid of that." Rose pointed over to the chair where the plastic arm had been placed. No one had questioned her having it when she had arrived home, Jackie and Sebastian had just assumed she was in shock.

Mickey gave Rose a quick kiss, before leaving the flat with the plastic arm. "Bye, bye!" he called. Rose gave a quick goodbye back, followed by a grunt from Sebastian.

"Go on, kid," said Sebastian. "You go to bed, I'll make sure mum doesn't go in and hammer ya about compensation."

Rose smiled, and went off to her bedroom, her smile fading as she thought about what had just gone on. She had met a man who had blown up a building and killed himself doing so.

* * *

The next morning, Rose was sat with Sebastian at the kitchen table, watching him sort through disks – pirated DVDs.

"There's Finch's, you could try them – they've always got jobs."

"Oh great, the butcher's." said Rose, dismissing Jackie's suggestion.

"What's wrong with them? Seb worked there for three years,"

"And there's a reason I don't work there any more." Rose grinned at her brother. "I'll help you find a job, Rose."

"Nothing dodgy, Seb." His sister warned. "Nothing involving Mitchell Smith."

"Right, well I'm going down the pub to give Dave some of these," Sebastian stood up and pulled on his leather jacket, putting a couple of the now boxed DVDs in his pocket. "I'll ask him about some shifts for you – decent hours and decent pay, no sister of mine is working for nothing. See you later." Sebastian gave Jackie a quick kiss on the cheek.

"See you later, darling." Jackie turned her attention back to Rose. "Might do you good, working elsewhere, that shop was giving you airs and graces."

Rose rolled her eyes as her mother stood up and made her way to her bedroom. "And I'm not joking about compensation, you've had genuine shock and trauma." She paused half way out the room and turned back. "Arianna got two thousand quid off the council, just cos the man at the desk said she looked Greek. I know she _is_ Greek but that's not that point." Jackie went into the bedroom, her voice raising slightly so Rose could still hear her. "Ask Seb to sort it for you, he had a good solicitor at his hearing yesterday, I'm sure we can get him again."

Rose ran a hand through her hair. It had taken her ages to get a secure job at the shop. Sebastian could probably help her but Rose didn't hold her breath on her getting something good. She sighed as she heard the cat flap on the front door open and close.

"Mum, you're such a liar," she called, walking towards the front door to check that no stray cats had allowed themselves into the flat. "I told you to nail that cat flap down – we're gonna get strays."

"I did it weeks back,"

"No, you thought about it,"

Rose noticed several nails scattered on the floor, she knelt down to observe. Suddenly the cat flap jolted towards her and Rose jumped back. It hadn't been a cat – a cat would've jumped straight through.

Leaning down, Rose slowly reached her hand towards the plastic flap. She pushed it up to reveal the man from the shop. He too was kneeling down, looking through the cat flap door at Rose in confusion.

Quickly Rose shot up and open the front door. He wasn't dead. The man – the _Doctor –_ he hadn't died in the explosion, he had managed to get himself out.

"What're you doing here?" he asked her, standing up.

"I live here."

"Well what do you do that for?"

"Because I do." Rose couldn't believe she was arguing her reasons for living where she lived. "And I'm only at home 'cos someone blew up my job."

Rose watched the Doctor take the same object he had used on the lift buttons out of his jacket pocket. He turned on the blue light, it making a strange noise as he did so. "I must've got the wrong signal." Rose frowned. _What the hell did that mean?_ "You're not plastic, are you?" The Doctor tapped Rose on the head with his hand to check, she pulled a face in annoyance. "Nope, bonehead. Bye then." He smiled, and went to stroll away, but Rose wasn't letting him get away that easy.

She grabbed his arm. "You, inside, right now." She didn't give him much of a choice, and the Doctor found himself being dragged into the flat.

"Who is it?" Jackie called from her bedroom.

Rose stood in the doorway, while the Doctor glanced around the hall. "It's about last night, he's part of the inquiry, just give 'es ten minutes." Rose walked away towards the living room.

"She deserves compensation." Jackie called to the Doctor when he appeared in the doorway.

"Oh, we're talking millions." The Doctor glanced around Jackie's room, as she stood up and flicked her hair back.

"I'm in my dressing gown," she stated coyly.

The Doctor looked over at her. "Yes, you are."

"There's a strange man in my bedroom,"

"Yes, there is,"

Jackie tilted her head to the side and shrugged. "Well anything could happen,"

The Doctor smiled. "No,"

Rose was moving magazines and rubbish from the couch when the Doctor strolled into the living room. "Don't mind the mess." She muttered, making her way towards the kitchen. "Do you want a coffee?"

"Might as well, thanks, just milk." The Doctor picked up a magazine that Rose had left on the coffee table, while Rose spoke to him about the events of the previous night.

"We should go to the police," she said. "Seriously. Both of us. And I'm not blaming you, even if it's some sort of-"

"Huh," the Doctor said to himself reading the magazine. "That won't last. He's gay and she's an alien."

"-joke that just went wrong. Cos my brother told me that they said on the News that they found a body, I suppose that was Wilson. I didn't really-"

The Doctor picked up a book after tossing the magazine onto a chair, he riffs through it, reading it all in a second. "Aaah, sad ending."

"-know him, but all the same, he was nice though, he was a nice bloke-"

"Rose Tyler," He read out loud from an envelope.

"-We owe it to him. If we really are going to tell the police though, we'll have to go to the station, we can't have them round the house, my brother will get into trouble if we do-"

He looked at his reflection in a mirror. "Could've been worse. Look at the ears!"

"-and I want to know what I'm saying, I want you to explain everything-"

The Doctor heard a scrambling from behind the couch, he glanced behind it, frowning. "Have you got a cat?" He called to Rose. The moment he did, his throat was grabbed by a solid, cold hand.

"No," said Rose walking into the living room with the Doctor's coffee. "We did, but strays came in off the estate." She glanced up at the Doctor, as he grasped at the plastic arm, trying to pull it off his neck. Rose sighed. "I told Mickey to chuck that out. You're all the same, give a man a plastic hand – anyway, I don't know your name, Doctor what was it?"

The plastic hand flew from the Doctor's throat and grabbed Rose's face, suffocating her. The Doctor hurried over to her, and pulled on the arm but it's grip was strong – stronger than when the Doctor had been dealing with it last night at the shop. The Doctor pulled hard and he fell backwards – bringing Rose and the arm with him – crashing down on top of the coffee table, it collapsed under the weight, sending them both to the floor. Realising that he couldn't pull the arm off, the Doctor pushed Rose up onto the sofa, and pulled out the blue-light object. Rose pushed the arm back and with the Doctor's help they managed to pull it off. Rose watched as the Doctor pressed the object against the plastic hand, it's blue light glowing and making the strange noise again. The hand's movements slowed and eventually froze.

"It's all right, I've stopped it." The Doctor said, chucking it at Rose. "There you go, harmless."

"D'you think? How'd you stop it?"

The Doctor held up the magical object and waved it at Rose. "Sonic Screwdriver."

"How does it work?"

"Dunno, just point it at stuff and see what happens."

* * *

Rose followed the Doctor out of the building, she wanted answers and she wasn't letting him disappear again.

"Who _are_ you?" She asked.

"Told you, I'm the Doctor."

"Yeah, but Doctor what?"

"Just the Doctor."

"'The Doctor'?"

He grinned and waved his hand. "Hello!"

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to sound impressive?"

"Sort of."

Rose was silent for a moment. "Come on then." She grabbed his arm, and he turned to look at her. "You can tell me, I've seen enough." The Doctor didn't say anything back. "Are you the police?"

"No, I was just...passing through." He smiled to himself. "I'm a long way from home."

Rose realised she wasn't going to get anywhere so tried a different approach. "But what have I done wrong? Why do those plastic things keep coming after me?"

"Oh, so suddenly the entire world revolves around you! You're just an accident, you got in the way, that's all."

"It tried to kill me!" Rose defended.

"It was after me, not you. Last night, in the shop, I was there for first, you blundered in, almost ruined the whole thing! This morning-" The Doctor held up the plastic arm he had brought with him from the flat. "I was tracking it down, it was tracking _me_ down, it only fixed on you, cos you'd met me."

"So what you're saying is...the entire world revolves around you?" Rose concluded sarcastically.

The Doctor grinned. "Sort of, yeah."

"You're full of it!" Rose mocked.

"Sort of, yeah." The Doctor repeated.

"But all this plastic stuff...who else knows about it?"

The Doctor didn't answer for moment. "No one."

"What, you're on your own?"

"Who else is there? I mean, you lot, all you do is eat chips, watch telly and go to bed. When all the time, underneath you there's a war going on."

Rose was growing more and more interested in the man who called himself the Doctor with every second that passed. "Okay. Start from the beginning. I mean, if we go with living plastic – and I don't even believe that, but if we do – how did you even kill it? With your...sonic screwdriver thing, what was it like radio control?"

"Thought control," The Doctor corrected. "The thing controlling it projects life into the arm, I just cut off the signal, killing it."

Rose was silent, comprehending what she had just been told.

"You all right?"

"Yeah...so who's controlling it?"

"Long story."

"But what's it all for? Using shop window dummies against the world. Is someone trying to take over Britain's shops?" Rose joked, sharing a laugh with the Doctor.

"No! It's not a price war!" The Doctor joked back. He stopped laughing abruptly and his tone turned dark. "They want to overthrow the human race and destroy you. Do you believe me?"

"No," said Rose honestly.

"But you're still listening."

Rose stopped walking. "Really though, Doctor. Who are you?"

The Doctor stopped walking and turned to Rose, looking at her hard and smiling to himself. "You know when you're a kid," he walked towards her. "and they tell you the world's turning and you can't believe it, cos everything looks – everything _feels –_ like it's standing still. I can feel it." The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand as he spoke. "The turn of the Earth. The ground beneth our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour." As he spoke, Rose imagined what he was saying and she could feel herself becoming dizzy. "The entire planet is hurtling round the sun at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space – you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go-"

The Doctor pulled his hand away from Rose's, the dizzy feeling seemed to stop. "That's who I am. Now forget me, Rose Tyler. Go home."

Forget? How could she forget a man like him? After everything he had said, everything he had done, how could she forget?

Rose watched as the Doctor walked away from her, into the direction of a blue police box in the car park. Rose sighed and turned away. She couldn't get any answers from him, he would've told her something _useful_ by now if she could. Rose made her way through the park, back towards her flat, when suddenly she heard a loud noise. Rose was used to loud noise on the estate, but this was different. This was a heavy, groaning, grinding noise, like ancient engines rising and falling. The noise continued to grow louder and louder, and Rose ran towards the direction of the noise – the direction of the Doctor – however the noise soon died away, Rose couldn't tell where it was coming from. But one thing she did notice; the blue box had vanished.

* * *

A young man in his mid twenties, sat at a diner, savouring a double bacon cheese burger he was served. In front of him was a newspaper with several articles circled and marked. He was waiting for the Doctor to arrive.

Just as he swallowed his mouthful, he heard the familiar groaning, grinding sound from outside. He smiled as he watched the Doctor step out of the blue box and towards the diner. Once inside, the Doctor made his way over to the young man's table without stopping to make sure he was headed towards the right table.

"How's it going, Dean?"

Dean Winchester shared a grin with the Doctor. "Not bad, Doc. Had a few more hits with this, uh, plastic thing, checked one out last night."

"And?"

"And, whatever it is, the signal must be coming from your neck of the woods, 'cos they're pretty weak here."

The Doctor smirked, his tone becoming smug. "So no signs of demonic activity?"

Dean shifted in his seat, and glanced down at his food. "Shut up."

* * *

Mickey Smith was wearing hideous green boxers when he answered the door. "Wa-hey! Kit off! Here's my woman!"

"Oh shut up!" Rose grinned, giving Mickey a quick kiss and making her way into his untidy flat.

"Coffee?" Mickey asked, sauntering towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, but only if you wash the mug and I don't mean rinse, I mean wash." Mickey rolled his eyes. "Can I use your computer?"

"Yeah, any excuse to get into the bedroom." He joked. When Rose got to Mickey's bedroom she heard him call, "Don't read my e-mails!"

Sat at the desk, Rose wondered what exactly she was searching for. Information on the Doctor, she supposed. But what exactly did she type into google?

 _Doctor – Search – 17,700,000 results_

She racked her brains, thinking back to what she and the Doctor talked about.

 _Doctor Living Plastic – Search – 55,300 results_

Rose bit her lip, thinking about to their walk through the estate. Then she wondered about that blue box in the car park. And how the Doctor didn't seem to go running at that strange noise – which was similar to that of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver, the more Rose thought about it.

 _Doctor Blue Box – Search_

Rose's eyes widened at the first result on the page.

 _DOCTOR WHO?...do you know this man?_

Rose clicked on the link, and up came a blurred picture of the Doctor. Below it was a second link, _CONTACT CLIVE._

* * *

"You're not coming in." Rose said firmly, as the yellow Beetle pulled up into a suburbia street. "He's safe, he's got a wife and kid."

"Yeah, and who told you that? _He_ did." Mickey had been arguing with Rose every since she told him yesterday about Clive – the man who she contacted about the Doctor. "It's like Seb always says, the best criminals know how to lie."

"No, Seb always says that the best criminals don't tell anyone about their crimes." Rose corrected, she climbed out of the car. "Stay here."

Rose made her way over to the address she'd been given. Clive sounded safe enough, babbled on a bit, but Rose felt that the middle aged father was safe. She knocked on the door, and waited a few seconds before a boy answered.

"Um, hello, I've come to see Clive," Rose explained. "We've been emailing."

The boys strolled off into the house. "Dad!" he called. "It's another one of your nutters!"

A flustered man appeared from the kitchen. "Hello!" he greeted with a kind smile. "You must be Rose, I'm Clive – obviously." Rose shook his hand.

"I'd better tell you now, my boyfriend's waiting in the car, just in case you're gonna kill me."

Clive laughed. "No, good point. No murders!" Clive waved at Mickey, who glared back.

"Clive?" a voice from upstairs called out. "Who is it?"

"It's something to do with the Doctor!" Clive called back, his wife walked downstairs. "She's been reading the website. Come through," he said to Rose. "I'm in the shed."

* * *

Dean had his feet propped up again the TARDIS console as he skimmed through the papers in front of him.

"Okay, so what you're saying is that some plastic obsessed alien... _freaks,_ wanna take over the world. _Plastic freaks_ want to take over the world. God – my job's too hard."

The Doctor chuckled from the other side of the console where he was spinning dials and doing what Dean called _TARDIS-y stuff._

"I thought you and John would be working something like this together?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow at the hunter. "Where is he anyway?"

Dean shrugged. "Some demon gig in N-Y-C. Probably gonna check on Sammy too, while he's on the road."

"How's Stanford going for him?"

Dean cleared his throat. "No idea. He won't answer my calls."

A silence fell between the Doctor and Dean Winchester, it felt like minutes before a beeping alert noise came from a screen on the console.

"Aha!" The Doctor cried. "Plastic activity in London – _big_ plastic activity."

Dean stood up. "Well that's my cue. See you 'round, Doc."

Dean watched from the side of the road, perched on the hood of his beloved '67 Chevy Impala as the TARDIS vanished.

* * *

Rose sat in the restaurant trying to take her mind off the meeting with Clive. _I think he's an alien from another world._ Rose knew she wasn't going to see the Doctor again, she might as well stop thinking about it and focus on other things. Like finding a job, for example.

"Seb said he'll ask around for me – I'm not holding my breathe on him finding me anything permanent, though." She explained to Mickey, who just smiled and listened. "Y'know what Seb's like, he'll get himself into something dodgy and once he does, no one will want him around and that'll be the same for me." She thought for a moment. "Maybe I should try the hospital, get a job in the canteen." She sighed again. "Is that it then, dishing out chips? I could do A-Levels, anyone can get into college these days. I dunno. This is all Jimmy Stone's fault. I only left school because of him and looked where he ended up." Rose looked at Mickey who just stared back at her, clearly he wasn't listening to her. Not properly. "What do _you_ think?"

"So where did you meet him then?" Mickey asked her. "This Doctor?"

"Oh sorry, was I talking about me for a second?"

"'Cos I reckon, it all started back at the shop, am I right?" Rose shifted in her seat. "Was he something to do with that?"

"No." Rose lied.

"Come on," Mickey smiled, and Rose suddenly felt guilty for lying to him.

"Sort of," Rose debated about saying any more.

"What was he doing there?"

"I'm not going on about it, Mickey." Rose glanced around the restarunt and toned down her voice. "I know it sounds daft but...I think he's _dangerous_." She whispered.

"But you can tell me, _sweetheart-babe-darling-sugar-babe-sugar._ " Mickey had suddenly called Rose every pet name all at once. Rose blinked at him, confused. "You can tell me anything. Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning and I can help you, Rose. 'Cos that's all I really want to do _sweetheart-babe-sugar-sweetheart."_ The pet names were spoken with no affection at all, it was almost robotic.

"What are you doing that for...?

"Your champagne." A waiter came over to their table, holding a bottle of champagne towards Mickey, who didn't look away from Rose.

"We didn't order any champagne – where's the Doctor?" Mickey grabbed Rose's hand tight, and Rose grew worried.

"Madam, your champagne." Rose ignored the waiter.

"That's not ours – Mickey, what is it, what's wrong?"

"I need to find out how much you know so where is he?" Why did Mickey need to know about the Doctor? Rose was confused, when she had told Mickey about the Doctor yesterday, he hadn't been interested – he told her that he's probably some lunatic, and she should probably forget about him.

"Doesn't anybody want this champagne?"

"We didn't order any cha-" Mickey looked up, his annoyed face turning to sadistic glee. "Ah, gotcha."

Rose looked up – the Doctor.

"Don't mind me," he began shaking the champagne bottle. "I'm just toasting the happy couple." He aimed the champagne bottle at Mickey. "On the house!" Rose watched on as the Doctor popped the cork and it hit Mickey right in the forehead, his face obsorbing it, then spitting out his mouth.

As another smile snaked it's away across Mickey's face, Rose stood up beside the Doctor, that wasn't Mickey – not _her_ Mickey.

She watched in horror as Mickey stood and raised his arms, his hands moulding into flat chisels, everyone in the restaurant seemed to be watching them. Mickey suddenly swiped his hand down, slicing the table in half. People started screaming and running as the Doctor dived forwards and grabbed Mickey in a headlock.

Rose could only watch them, gobsmacked. If that wasn't Mickey then where was Mickey? What had happened to him? People around her screamed and the Doctor pulled Mickey's head off his body. For a moment, Rose thought that Mickey or whatever it was, was dead, but then-

"Don't think that's gonna stop me." the head was alive and speaking to the Doctor, and the body was clumsily making it's away around the restaurant, smashing anything in it's way.

Rose ran towards a fire alarm and smashed it. "Get out!" She yelled to the diners and staff. "Everyone, out, now!" Everyone ran towards the front door, and Rose led the Doctor towards the back. Running through the kitchen with Mickey's body following, The Doctor and Rose made they way outside the back door and into the alley. The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to lock the door, and Rose ran towards the gates only to discover them locked. They were trapped. And Mickey's body was hammering at the door.

"Open the gate!" Rose yelled in panic at the Doctor. "Use that sonic-thing, come on."

"Sonic screwdriver." He corrected.

"Use it!"

"Naah, tell you what, let's go in here."

The Doctor stepped in the blue box. The blue box that Rose could've sworn had been in the car park yesterday. She must be losing her mind.

"You can't just hide in a wooden box!"

The banging on the door was becoming harder and louder. Rose frantically ran back to the gate, pulling at the chain in pathetic attempts to get it open.

"He's gonna get us!" _Whump!_ The door was going to be smashed to a thousand pieces – Rose could just see it. "Doctor!"

In blind panic, Rose ran into the box and stopped dead in her tracks. Rose ran back out of the box, and circled it, running her hands across it's wood to make sure it was real. A chisel hand sliced through the door and Rose ran back inside, slamming the wooden doors shut behind her.

"It's gonna follow us," she told the Doctor quietly.

"The assembled hordes of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door, and believe me, they have tried, now shut up a minute."

Rose looked around the wooden box she had run into for safety. Expecting nothing but to hide in a wardrobe, Rose felt like she was dreaming. The inside of the box was a huge control room, a six-sided console in the centre, and an alien design all around, Rose didn't know how else to describe it but alien. All of it was alien.

"Y'see, the arm was too simple, but the head's perfect," the Doctor was saying. "I can use it to trace the signal back to it's source." The Doctor went around the console, turning bolts and flicking switches with the different pieces of technology around it. When he finished, he turned to Rose, knowing what was coming. "Right, where d'you want to start."

"Um," Rose kept level, holding back her terror. "The inside's bigger than the outside."

"Yes."

"It's...alien?"

"Yes."

Rose knew what she wanted to ask, but didn't know if she should. "Are...are you alien?"

"Yes." The Doctor stared at her. "That all right?"

"Yeah."

"It's called the TARDIS, this thing." he explained. "T-A-R-D-I-S, that's Time And Relative Dimensions In Space." Rose pulled a face, holding back a sob. "That's okay, culture shock. It happens to the best of us."

"Did they kill him?" Rose asked. She probably shouldn't but she needed to know. "Mickey – did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?"

The Doctor blinked. "Oh. I didn't think of that."

"He's my boyfriend." Rose said angrily. "You pulled his head off, and you didn't even _think_?" Rose glanced at Mickey's head which the Doctor had placed on the console. "And now you're just gonna let him melt!"

The Doctor turned and ran towards the head, pulling melted chunks off the levers and wires. "No, no, no, no!"

With a stony look on his face, the Doctor made his way around the control panel, pulling levers, and causing a glass column at the centre of the console to rise and fall and rotate

"What are you doing?" Rose yelled. The noise she heard yesterday erupted from the TARDIS – ancient engines rising and falling.

"Following the signal," The Doctor explained, "It's failing! Wait a minute – I've got it – I've-" Rose could only stand and watch the Doctor run around the console. "Ohhh no you don't, no no no no NO!" The Doctor pulled a huge lever and the TARDIS jerked. "Almost there, almost there-"

The engine noise faded away, and the Doctor ran for the doors.

"You can't got out there it's not safe!" Rose told him. He ignroed her, and she ran out after him to help fight off the thing that had copied Mickey, but Rose stopped dead in the doorway.

"Lost the signal!" The Doctor complained. "I was so close!"

Rose slowly stepped out of the TARDIS. They were no longer in the back alley of the restaurant, they were in central London, overlooking the Thames.

"We've moved." Rose said, "Does it...fly?"

"Disappears there and reappears here, you wouldn't understand." The Doctor explained quickly.

"But..." Rose's head hurt. Her boyfriend could be dead, she was with an alien, she had just travelled from one place to another in an alien police box. "If we're...somewhere else, what about the headless thing?"

"It melted with the head, are you gonna witter on all night?"

Mickey's body had melted with his head. Rose slowly soaked that in. "I'll have to tell his mother."

The Doctor looked over at her blankly.

"Mickey. I'll have to tell his mother he's dead, and you just went and forgot him _again_! You were right, you are alien." Rose turned away.

"Listen, if I did froget some kid called Mickey-"

"He's not a kid!"

"-it's because I'm busy, trying to save the life of every stupid ape blundering about on top of this planet, all right?"

"All right!"

"Yes, it is!"

The Doctor and Rose stood in silence, both sulking around.

"If you're an alien, how come you sound like you're from the north?" Rose asked.

"Lots of planets have a north."

Rose glanced at the TARDIS. "What's a ' _police public call box_ '?"

"It's a telephone box, from the nineteen-fifties." The Doctor grinned. "It's a disguise."

Rose smiled. "Okay. And this...living plastic...what's it got against us?"

"Nothing. It loves you. You've got such a good planet, lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air – just what the Nestene Consciousness needs. Its foodstock was destroyed in the War, all it's protein planets rotted. So. Earth. Dinner."

Rose didn't really understand majority of what the Doctor had just said but she picked up on the basics. "Any way of stopping it?"

The Doctor pulled a tube of blue liquid out of his jacket pocket. " _Antiplastic_."

"Antiplastic?"

"Antiplastic!" The Doctor's smile faded. "But first of all, I've got to find it. How can you hide something that big in a city so small?"

"Hang on – hide what?"

"The transmitter. The Consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic, so it needs a transmitter to boost its signal."

"What's it look like?"

The Doctor paced around. "Like a transmitter! Round. And massive!" He faced Rose with his back to the river, Rose glanced behind him as he spoke. "Somewhere slap-bang in the middle of London. A huge, metal, circular structure, like a dish, like a wheel, radical, close to where we're standing. It must be completely _invisible_." He noticed Rose's gaze. "What?"

Rose indicated behind the Doctor with a nod, the Doctor turned around and looked across the Thames at the London Eye, all lit up on show. "What? What is it? What?" Slowly, a look of realisation dawned on the Doctor. "Oh. Fantastic!"

* * *

The Doctor and Rose made their way through a greasy metal underground chamber, it looked like it had been abandoned for decades – the perfect place to conduct an alien invasion from. They looked down at a pool of thick, churning liquid, glowing yellow like lava.

"The Nestene Consciousness," The Doctor told Rose pointing at it. "That's it, inside the vat, a living plastic creature."

Rose was full of fascination and fear. "Well then, give it your antiplastic and let's go."

"I'm here to kill it. I've got to give it a chance." Rose watched as the Doctor made his way down metal stairs, closer to the Nestene Consciousness.

"I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract, according to Convention Fifteen of the Shadow Proclamation." The Consciousness replied in a shrieking alien language. "Thank you, If I might have permission to approach."

Rose glanced around the chamber and saw a human figure cowering in the corner. "Oh my God-" she ran across to the grimy figure, curled up in a ball. "Mickey! Oh my God – Mickey, it's me, it's okay."

"Rose!" Rose gently rubbed Mickey's shoulder. "Rose – that thing down there, it can _talk_..."

"Doctor, they kept him alive!"

"Yeah, that was always a possibility." The Doctor said dismissively. "Keep him alive to maintain the copy."

"What, and you _knew_ that? You knew and you never said?"

"Can you keep the domestics for outside, thank you." The Doctor turned his attention back to the alien creature. "Am I addressing the Consciousness?"

Another shriek erupted, as the Doctor walked down to the lower level floor.

"Thank you. If I might observe. You infiltrated this civilisation by means of warp-shunt technology. So may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you _shunt off._ "

The conciousness shrieked in anger.

"Oh don't give me that! This is an invasion, plain and simple, don't talk about constitutional rights-"

Another shriek inturpted the Doctor.

"I-am- _talking_!" The Consciousness fell silent, Mickey and Rose watched as the Doctor continued his speech. "This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they can achieve so much more. I'm asking you, on their behalf, please. Just go."

"Doctor!"

Rose's warning was too slow – two mannequins, restrained the Doctor, and revealed the antiplastic from his pocket.

"I wasn't gonna use it – it was just insurance-"

The Consciousness roared in fury, as the Doctor struggled to break free from his captors, Rose and Mickey watched helplessly.

"I was not attacking you – I was trying to help! I _swear,_ I am not your enemy, I'm _not-_ " The Doctor's eyes widened as the Consciousness spoke. "What d'you mean? No. Ohhh no. Honestly, no..."

A door slid open and revealed and the TARDIS, Rose looked down at the Doctor as terror drowned him. "Yes, that's my ship-" Another shriek. "That's not true! I should know – I was there, I fought in the War, it wasn't my fault! I couldn't save your world – I couldn't save any of them!"

Suddenly, pools of light slammed on, systems started up, Rose called down to the Doctor, "What's it doing?"

"It's the TARDIS! The Nestene's identified it as superior technology, it's terrified, it's going to the final stage – the invasion is starting, right now!" The Doctor turned to her with pleading eyes. "Get out, Rose! Just leg it!"

 _The invasion is starting –_ Rose had to warn her family, she had to her. As quickly as she could she called Jackie;

"...Mum?"

"There you are, I was just gonna phone – you can get compensation, I said so, I've got this document-thing off the police. Don't thank me!"

"Where are you, Mum?"

"I'm in town."

"Go home, Mum, right now."

"Darling, you're breaking up, listen – I'm just gonna do a bit of late night shopping, I'll see you later, ta-ra!"

Jackie hung up and Rose quickly dialled Sebastian's number.

"Rose?" Sebastian sounded a bit out of breath. "You all right – what is it?"

"Seb, find Mum, you need to find Mum and go home!"

"Rose? You there? Rose? Hello-?"

"Seb?"

The call cut off as the activation signal was transmitted – a streak of blue lightning struck from the vat through the underground building. The invasion had begun.

"Just get out, Rose!" The Doctor yelled. "Just run! RUN!"

Rose turned to Mickey and pulled him up in his terrified state, pulling him over to the TARDIS. Rose pushed the door, but no safety could be reached.

"It's locked!"

Mickey and Rose cowered against the TARDIS doors, there was no way out. There were all going to die. The Doctor turned and locked his eyes on Rose as she stood up and ran towards a fire axe on the wall.

"Rose! There's nothing you can do!" Mickey pleaded.

Rose jumped and slammed the axe down on a large chain against the wall. "I've got no A-Levels," _Schunk._ "No job," _Schunk._ "No future." _Schunk._ Rose grabbed the chain as it was freed. "But I know what I have got," She wrapped the chain around her arm. "Jericho Street Junior School, under-7's gymnastics team," she turned to face the Doctor and the dummy holding the antiplastic. "I've got the bronze!"

Rose ran forward, and leapt off the platform, swinging towards the dummy. As she does, it caught the dummy holding the Doctor off guard, giving him the chance and throw it into the vat. Rose kicked out and the dummy holding the antiplastic fell into the vat too – antiplastic still in hand. The Consciousness shrieked in pain and anger, and the Doctor and Rose ran to the TARDIS.

With the Doctor, Rose and Mickey inside, the TARDIS vanished in seconds, leaving the Consciousness to it's destruction.

Rose Tyler had just saved the Earth.

* * *

"Rose, don't go out the house! Tell your brother as – oh no never mind he's here – there were these things, they were shooting, they-"

Rose hung up the phone, her mum and brother were all right and they were together. She knelt down at Mickey's side, he was in shock and shivering like mad. He pointed towards the TARDIS as the Doctor leaned against the doorway, grinning at Rose.

"Nestene Consciousness," He clicked his fingers. "Easy!"

"You were useless in there, you'd be dead if it wasn't for me." said Rose smugly.

"Yes I would." The Doctor smiled. "Thank you. Right! I'll be off then. Unless...I dunno. You could come with me?"

Rose's eyes widened, battle aliens with the Doctor?

"This box isn't just a London hopper, it can travel anywhere in the universe – I was in America this morning – free of charge."

Mickey grabbed Rose's arm. "Don't! He's an alien! He's a _thing_ -"

"He's not invited." Rose was so tempted. "What d'you think? You can stay here, fill you life with work and food and sleep, or you could go...anywhere."

"Is it always this dangerous?" Rose asked him.

The Doctor didn't lie. "Yes."

Mickey wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her hip. "I can't, I've...I've got to go find my mum and my brother, and...someone's got to look after this stupid lump." She patted Mickey's shoulder.

"Oh." The Doctor was silent for a moment. "Okay...See you around."

Rose watched as the Doctor stepped in the TARDIS, the engines started up and the box faded away into nothing. Rose waited for a moment, hoping the Doctor would come back, but nothing came.

"Come on, let's go." She helped Mickey stand, and they began to make their way home, when the wind picked up around them and the TARDIS returned. The door opened and the Doctor leaned out.

"By the way, did I mention? It also travels in time."

Rose stared at him, they both knew what she was going to do. The Doctor went back inside, leaving the door open. Rose turned to Mickey and kissed his cheek. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"...Exactly."

Rose turned and ran into the TARDIS, leaving Mickey and Jackie and Sebastian behind. Rose ran to the Doctor, to _adventure_.

* * *

OMG THE FIRST CHAPTER! Please let me know what you guys think - if you have any questions then I'll answer them in the next update. Also, if there are any mistakes I am so sorry and I will work to get them removed. Thanks for reading and I really hoped you enjoyed it!


	2. Chapter 2

Amongst the Stars

Chapter 2: This Shattered World

" _Look at everything as though you were seeing it for the first or last time."_

 _\- Betty Smith; A Tress Grows in Brooklyn_

* * *

" _Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth-Death is scheduled for fifteen-thirty-nine, followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite."_

Rose's eyebrows pulled together as she followed the Doctor down a corridor. The TARDIS had taken them five billion years into the future to the day the world ends. Rose was about to witness the end of the Earth with the Doctor and apparently many others from a spaceship.

"So, when it says guests, does that mean...people?" she asked the Doctor, her gaze dancing around the corridor. She was on a spaceship. An _actual spaceship_.

The Doctor shrugged. "Depends what you mean by people."

"I mean people, what do _you_ mean?"

The Doctor gave her a cheeky smile. "Aliens."

"But what are they doing on board this spaceship?" The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and waved it over a control panel on the wall. "What's it all for?"

"It's not a spaceship, it's more like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn."

"What for?"

"Fun."

The Doctor strolled off and Rose hurried after him into a huge room, it looked like a modern art gallery, all floor space and no furniture.

"Mind you," said the Doctor. "When I say the great and the good, what I mean is, _the rich_."

At the end of the gallery-like room was a large window – the length of the floor to the ceiling – through it, Rose could see the Sun and it's flames flickering.

"But hold on, they did this once on _Newsround Extra._ The Sun expanding, that takes hundreds of years."

" _Millions._ " The Doctor corrected. "But the planet's now the property of the National Trust, they've been keeping it preserved – see down there?" The Doctor pointed at a tiny glint of light that was orbiting the Earth. "Gravity satellites, holding back the Sun."

"The planet looks the same as ever, I thought the continents," Rose made a gesture with her hands. "Shifted and things."

"They did. And the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, and nature takes over."

"How long's it got?"

The Doctor looked at his watch. "About half an hour. Then the planet gets _roasted._ " He turned to Rose and smiled.

"Is that why we're here?" Rose asked. "I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?"

"I'm not saving it." The Doctor told her bluntly. "Time's up."

Rose glared. "But what about the people?"

The Doctor shrugged. "It's empty. They've all gone. No one left."

Rose looked at the empty planet she used to be on. "Just me then," she murmured.

" _Who the hell are you?"_

The Doctor and Rose turned around and saw a blue-skinned, alien Steward hurry towards them.

"Oh that's nice, thanks." said the Doctor.

"But how did you get in?" the alien demanded. "This is a maximum hospitality zone, the guests have disembarked, they're on their way any second now-"

"No, that's me, I'm a guest, look I've got an invitation-" the Doctor took a leather wallet from his pocket, and held it up to the Steward. "Look, there, you see? It's fine – 'The Doctor plus one' – I'm the Doctor, this is Rose Tyler," the Doctor nodded at Rose who gave the Steward a smile. "She's my plus one, that all right?"

The Steward stared awkwardly. "Well, obviously. Apologies, etcetera. Right, if you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy."

The Steward hurried off, and the Doctor showed Rose his wallet, inside was a piece of white paper, no writing, no photo, just blank white paper. "The paper's slightly psychic, it shows them whatever I want." The Doctor put the psychic paper back in his pocket. "Saves a lot of time."

"He's _blue_."

"Yep."

Rose paused and stared at the Steward who stood behind a glass lectern.

"...Okay,"

"We have in attendance," the Steward spoke into a microphone. "The Doctor and Rose Tyler." the Doctor smiled and waved over to the Steward. "Thank you – all staff to their positions!"

The Steward clapped his hands and dozens of blue skinned children in uniforms hurried around the room. Rose stared in awe.

"And now, might I introduce," The Steward gestured towards the door. "Representing the Forest of Cheem, we have Trees; namely Jabe, Lute and Coffa-"

Three human-like trees made their way into the room; two male guards following a woman in a long red and orange gown. The woman – Jabe – glanced over at the Doctor and Rose.

"There will be an exchange of gifts to represent peace, if you could keep the room circulating, thank you – next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon-"

A small blue alien sat on a robotic chair, rolled into the room.

"Next, from Financial Family Seven, the Adherents of the Repeated Meme-"

Five cowled, monk-like figures, with hooded faces entered. Followed by the inventors and copyright holders of hyposlip travel systems, Brothers Hop Pyleen; Mr and Mrs Pakoo; the ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light; the Face of Boe. Rose was still staring at the arrivals when Jabe appeared, holding out a plant pot to the Doctor.

"A gift of peace," she presented. "I bring you a cutting of my grandfather."

The Doctor looked down at the tree branch with respect. "Thank you, yes, um gifts," The Doctor handed his gift to Rose and began patting his jacket. "I give you, in return, air from my lungs," The Doctor softly blew air towards Jabe.

"How intimate,"

"There's more where that came from," the Doctor flirted.

Jabe gave him a quick glance up and down. "I bet there is." She smiled and moved on, the Moxx taking her place in front of the Doctor and Rose.

"My felicitations upon this historical happenstance, I bring you the gift of my bodily saliva," The Moxx spat right in Rose's eye. The blonde flinched in disgust, while the Doctor merely smiled.

The Adherents arrived next, handing the Doctor a stainless-steel orb. "A gift of peace. In all good faith."

When the Adherents walked away, Rose looked back to the doors, a man – an actual human man – blonde and smirking as he strutted into the room.

"The last of the heavenly force," said the Steward. "The Archangel Gabriel."

The Doctor grinned as Gabriel made his way over to them. "Gabriel!" he greeted. "I'm the Doctor, this is Rose."

"Hell-o," said Gabriel in a flirty tone, giving Rose what Sebastian called 'sex eyes'. "This party has certainly started."

Rose blushed and smiled shyly. "Hi,"

Gabriel turned back to the Doctor and said coolly, "My present to you is my presence," he turned back to Rose and wiggled his eyebrows. "And I can give you an even better present later."

Rose watched as Gabriel swaggered off towards the other aliens. "Gabriel, as in the _Angel-Gabriel_?"

"Yup."

"So, there's not just aliens, there's angels as well?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Looks like it."

"And last but not least, our very special guest," The other guests in the room, stopped mingling and turned to face the Steward. "Ladies and gentlemen and trees and multiforms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth, the last human."

The doors opened.

"The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen."

Two men in white coats and masks and carrying hoses walked on either side of Cassandra, the last human. But this wasn't a human. This was a face stretched across a metal frame and held in tightly in place. Rose looked on in disgust at how thing the skin was and the purple veins she could see cracking the white. Two eyes and bright red lips were the only human features about her – Cassandra was like a trampoline.

"Oh now don't stare!" Cassandra said coyly "I know, I know, it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away, and look at the difference, look how thin I am! Thin and dainty - I don't look a day over two-thousand!" Cassandra's tone turned to hushed panic. "Moisturise me! Moisturise me!"

The men at her sides lifted their hoses and sprayed a fine mist over her.

"Truly, I am the last human." Rose edged around the room, staring at Cassandra. "My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert." Rose looked at the back of Cassandra – the piece of skin was so thing that Rose could see the lips moving. "They were born on this Earth, and they were last to be buried in it's soil. I have come to honour them, and say goodbye," Cassandra sniffed. "No tears, no tears," One of the moisturising men leaned over with a tissue, wiping the non-existent tears away. "I'm sorry."

Cassandra perked up as one of the blue staff children entered the room. "But behold! I bring gifts! For Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg!" The guests muttered to each other in awe as the child presented the egg. "The ostrich was made extinct in Great Bird Flu of two-thousand-and-fifty-one. Legend says it had a wing-span of fifty feet, and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband?" Several guests – including Gabriel and the Doctor – laughed with Cassandra. "Oh, no, don't laugh, I'll get laughter-lines, stop! Stop!" Cassandra calmed down and another gift was brought into the room. "And here! Another rarity, some Old Earth entertainment," Rose smiled a little at the jukebox that was wheeled in. "According to the archives, this was called an I-Pod, it stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on!"

 _Sometimes I feel I've got to –_ dun-dun – _run away, I've got to –_ dun-dun – _get away_

"Refreshments will now be served," said the Steward. "Earth-Death in thirty minutes' time."

Rose gripped at the plant pot and steel ball in her hands tightly, her throat seemed to be closing up and her head was spinning. The aliens around mingled with each other as the music played. Feeling suddenly ill, Rose hurried out of the room.

The Doctor who had been watching her frowned and made his way through the crowds to follow.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor turned to Jabe who held up a small screen and took his photograph. "Thank you." She smiled.

Despite the unsettling feeling that grew in his stomach, the Doctor hurried out of the room to find Rose. Jabe watched him leave.

" _I_ can't even identify him, what makes you think you'll be able to?" Jabe turned to face Gabriel as he approached her.

"It is worth trying, Gabriel." she said. "What do you _think_ his species is?"

Gabriel stared at her. "No idea."

* * *

" _Earth-Death in twenty-five minutes."_

Rose frowned. "Oh, thanks," she muttered.

Rose sat in the viewing gallery, the closest she could get to privacy. The situation in the hall had overwhelmed her, like when she was a kid at school and they had to do the Nativity, Rose didn't feel too good about situations like that.

Bored out of her mind and wishing she had someone – particularly Sebastian – to talk to. Rose wondered what Sebastian was doing, she wondered if Mickey had told him that Rose had vanished with some weird alien from the north. Sebastian would have told Mickey to do one, thinking that he was drunk. Rose wondered what Sebastian and Jackie would do when they realise that Rose had _actually run off_ with an alien. She really should have thought things through before she ran into the TARDIS.

She picked up Jabe's plant and observed the gift. "Hello?" she said to it. "Can you speak?"

The plant was silent.

"My name's Rose. That's a sort of plant. We might be related." Rose paused and moved the plant away from her. "I'm talking to a twig."

"Would you like some _real_ company?"

Rose jumped and turned to the voice in the doorway. Gabriel leaned against the wall with one ankle crossed over the other, a flirty smirk plastered across his face.

"Y'know what?" Rose smiled, happy that someone _sort-of_ human was there. "I would _love_ some."

Gabriel walked forwards with confidence, he didn't need to focus on his steps or what was around him, he knew he'd get to where he wanted to be. He sat down on Rose's left.

"So, Rose, where you from?"

"Earth, well, the Earth from two-thousand-and-four,"

"You're a time traveller?"

Rose struggled to find words for a moment. "Sort of, I suppose. I travelled here with the Doctor, and I only met him the other day. I just left my family behind and took off."

"Who's in your family?"

Rose glanced at Gabriel, he had a look of genuine interest on his face, she was surprised that he was interested at all. The Doctor didn't ask Rose about her family or what she was leaving behind. "There's my Mum and my big brother – well, he's my half brother. My Dad died when before I could remember him. Seb always said he was great, like – that's my brother by the way – he wasn't even his Dad, and Seb loved him."

A short silence fell between the two. Rose perked herself up a bit. "So, you're an _angel_?"

"An _arch_ angel," boasted Gabriel.

"What's the difference?"

"Archangels are more important. And I'm the last one. Between you and me, I took off for a couple of centuries, pretended to be a trickster." Gabriel laughed a little. "Loki was no pleased,"

"Who's Loki?"

"No one, just some jackass, who...anyway, there were four of us. Archangels – myself and my big brothers Michael, Raphael, and Lucifer."

Rose's eyes widened. " _Lucifer_?" she repeated. "As in the _devil-Lucifer_?"

"How many Lucifers do you know? Yes, the devil-Lucifer. He and Michael wouldn't stop fighting over the Lego, and now they're both in hell. Raphael's dead, got himself killed by our littlest brother. But, of course, little brother Cas was _God_ at the time." Gabriel looked at Rose and pointed a finger. "Never complain about your family being messed up, 'cos I'll find you and introduce you to mine."

Rose laughed loudly, not noticing the Doctor entering the gallery.

"Aye, aye!" He greeted. "What's this then, you two flirting? Rose I thought you had a boyfriend?"

"Shut up!"

"You know that won't stop me, Doctor." Gabriel winked.

The Doctor's eyebrows pulled together. "You flirting with me now?"

Gabriel laughed, "I'll catch you later," he winked at Rose, standing up, "You too," he winked at the Doctor and left.

The Doctor smiled. "He's nice isn't he? First time meeting an angel and I can honestly say that they are lovely. So, what d'you think then?" The Doctor sat down across from her.

Rose's glee had died down, and the overwhelming feeling had taken over again. "Great," Rose blurted. "Yeah, fine. Once you get past the slightly psychic paper...They're just so _alien_! The aliens are so alien, you look at them...and they're alien."

"Good thing I didn't take you to the Deep South." Rose couldn't tell if that was a joke or not.

"Where are you from?" The question had been burning in Rose ever since she discovered the Doctor was an alien – he didn't look alien, he looked _human_.

The Doctor shrugged and looked at the floor. "All over the place."

Rose remembered what Sebastian had taught her about body language, people who look anywhere but you when talking about something personal, clearly have something they don't want to talk about. Rose thought it best not to dig any deeper into the Doctor's history.

"They all speak English." She got back on the topic of the other aliens.

The Doctor looked at her then. "No, you just hear English. It's a gift of the TARDIS. Telepathic field, gets inside your brain and translates."

"It's inside my brain?"

"Well, in a good way."

"Your machine gets inside my head?" said Rose coldly. "It gets inside and changes my mind and you didn't even ask?"

The Doctor frowned. "I didn't think about it like that-"

"No, you were too busy thinking up cheap shots about the Deep South! Who are you, then, Doctor?" He looked away again. "What are you called? What sort of alien are you?"

"I'm just the Doctor." he tried to stay flippant.

"From what planet?"

"Well it's not as if you know where it is."

"Where are you from?" Rose had never wanted answers more in her life. She wanted answers from the Doctor more than when she knew Sebastian had been up to something dodgy and she wanted to know what.

"What does it matter?" the Doctor raised his voice and Rose followed suit.

"Tell me who you are!"

"This is who I am!" the Doctor's face shaded red with anger. "Right here, right now, this is who I am, all right? All that counts is here and now, and this me!"

"Yeah, and I'm here too, 'cos you brought me here, so tell me!"

The Doctor stood up angrily and walked towards the large window, his back to Rose.

" _Earth-Death in twenty minutes."_

Rose took a deep breathe, she wasn't going to get any answers. "Okay," she said slowly. "As my mate Shareen says, don't argue with the designated driver. Mind you, my brother Seb would say push them out and nick the car." Rose pulled her phone out. "Can't exactly call for a taxi. There's no signal."

"Tell you what – with a little bit of jiggery-pokery," the Doctor took the phone and replaced the battery with a similar black one.

"Is that a technical term, jiggery-pokery?" joked Rose.

"Yeah, I came first in jiggery-pokery, what about you?"

"No, I failed hullabaloo."

The Doctor handed the phone back, now with full signal. Rose knew exactly what she wanted to do. Quickly she dialled the number and held the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"...Mum?"

"Oh, what is it, what's wrong, what have I done now? You phoning about Seb? He's fine – he just told me he got off lightly, we'll order a takeaway tonight to celebrate – oh, this red top's falling to bits, you should get your money back – go on, it must be something, you never phone in the middle of the day."

Rose couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, you all right though?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? Things went fine at court with you brother, we should go down the pub tonight as well."

"What day is it?"

"Wednesday. All day – you got a hangover? I told you not to go out drinking with Mickey last night. Oh, tell you what – put a quid in that lottery syndicate, I'll pay you back later."

"Yeah, look, um, I was just phoning 'cos...I might be late home."

"Is there something wrong?"

"No I'm fine," Rose grinned. "Top of the world."

"I hope you're not drinking on the job – we're not going through what we went through with Seb when he worked at the supermarket."

"No, no, I'm not, I'll see ya later, yeah?"

"All right, darling."

The call ended, and Rose turned to the Doctor, gobsmacked. Not only had she been able to phone her mum but she had been able to phone her the day she had met the Doctor.

"Think that's amazing, wait till you see the bill."

"That was five-billion years ago," Rose's eyes grew sad, "She's dead now. My Mum's dead."

"Bundle of laughs, you are."

Suddenly the ship shuddered and jerked. Rose held her hands out to keep her balance, the Doctor looked at her and smiled. "That's not supposed to happen."

* * *

"That wasn't a gravity pocket," Rose followed the Doctor into the main hall where the guests were huddled together discussing the disturbance. "I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that. What d'you think Jabe? Gabriel?"

Rose turned as the tree woman and angel approached.

"Listen to the engines," the Doctor said. "They've pitched up about thirty hertz, that dodgy or what?"

Jabe shrugged. "It's the sound of metal, it doesn't make any sense to me."

"It's probably just a glitch in the machines, Doctor – it'll be nothing to worry about." said Gabriel.

"Machines." murmured the Doctor. "Machines. Where's the engine room?"

"Sorry," said Gabriel sarcastically. "Was I speaking enochian?"

Rose frowned. "E-what?"

"Jabe," said the Doctor. "Any ideas?"

"I don't know," said Jabe. "But the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you. And your..." she looked over at Rose. "Wife?"

The Doctor stepped closer to Jabe, not noticing Gabriel's smirk. "Oh, she's not my wife."

"Partner?"

"No."

"Concubine?"

"Nope."

"Prostitute?"

Gabriel snorted in laughter as Rose glared. "Whatever I am, it must be invisible, d'you mind? Tell you what, you two go and..."

"Pollinate," supplied Gabriel.

"Yeah that – I'm gonna stay here with Gabriel and catch up with the family." Rose pointed over at Cassandra. "Quick word with Michael Jackson."

"Don't start a fight." the Doctor warned her. He offered his arm to Jabe. "I'm all yours."

Jabe took his arm and the pair made their way towards the door.

"Wait a second!" Gabriel stopped them. He glanced around and lowered his voice. "Listen if you need anything, any _stuff,_ " The Doctor rolled his eyes and left.

Rose laughed and pulled on Gabriel's arm. "Come on, introduce me to the _supposed human_."

Gabriel chuckled and guided Rose across the room. "Lady Cassandra, might I introduce you to, my _very lucky lady_ , Rose Tyler."

* * *

"This facility is purely automatic, it's the height of the Alpha Class, nothing can go wrong." Jabe explained the ship's operation as she followed the Doctor down the maintenance corridor.

"Unsinkable?"

"If you like. The nautical metaphor is appropriate."

"You're telling me – I was on this other ship once with my friend Irene – they said that was unsinkable. I ended up clinging to an iceberg, wasn't half cold." Jabe was fascinated by the Doctor, she wanted to ask him about his past, to find out if the identity results she received were true. "So what you're saying is, if we get into trouble, there's no one to help us out."

Jabe thought for a moment then shook her head. "I'm afraid not." She said aetiologically.

The Doctor suddenly grinned. "Fantastic!"

Jabe frowned. "I don't understand, in what way is that 'fantastic'?"

* * *

Rose stood in between Gabriel and Cassandra looking out on the Earth.

"Soon the Sun will blossom into a red giant, and my home will die." Cassandra dramatically explained. "That's where I used to live, when I was a little boy. Down there. Mummy and Daddy had a house built into the side of the Los Angeles Crevasse." Cassandra sighed. "Oh, I'd have such fun."

"But what happened to everyone else?" asked Rose. "The Human Race, where did it go?"

"They say mankind has touched every star in the sky."

Gabriel snorted and muttered "You have no idea."

"So you're not the _last human._ "

"I am the last _pure_ human." said Cassandra haughtily. "The others...mingled."

"Moved on," corrected Gabriel. Cassandra ignored him.

"They call themselves _new humans_ and _proto-humans_ and _digi-humans_ , even _human-ish_ , but you know what I call them? _Mongrels_."

"Right," Rose smiled sarcastically. "And you stayed behind?"

Gabriel's familiar smirk returned to his face at Rose's words.

"I kept myself pure."

"Mmm, how many operations have you had?"

"Seven-hundred-and-eight." said Cassandra. "Next week, it's seven-hundred-and-nine, I'm having my blood bleached."

Gabriel pulled a face and made a gesture to indicate that Cassandra had lost her mind – Rose fought back the laughter.

"Is that why you wanted a word? You could be flattened." Rose couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You've got a little bit of a chin poking out."

"I'd rather die." said Rose.

"And no one likes a flat girl," Gabriel wise-cracked.

"Honestly, it doesn't hurt-"

"No, I mean. I would rather _die_. It's better to die than to live like you a _bitchy trampoline_."

"Oh, that was too good," praised Gabriel, he held up his hand. "Come on, show me some love."

"Oh well," said Cassandra. "What do _you_ know?"

"I was born on that planet. And so was my Mum, and my brother, and my Dad – and that makes me, officially, the last human being in this room. 'Cos you're not human. You've had it all nipped and tucked and flattened till there's nothing left, anything human got chucked in the bin. You're just _skin,_ Cassandra. _Lipstick and skin_. Nice talking." Rose gave Gabriel's still raised hand a high-five and left the room with dignity.

Gabriel chuckled. " _Hell hath no fury,"_

* * *

"So tell me, Jabe, what's a tree like you doing in a place like this?"

Jabe smiled at the flattery. "Respect for the Earth." She and the Doctor were still making their way through the maintenance corridor.

"Come on," the Doctor said dismissively "Everyone on this platform's worth zillions."

"Well," confessed Jabe "Perhaps it's a case of having to be seen at the right occasions."

"In case your share prices drop?" The Doctor mocked, but not in a cruel manner. "I know your lot, you've got massive forests, roots all over the place. And there's always money in land."

Jabe playfully glared at him. "All the same, we respect the Earth, as family. So many species evolved from that planet, mankind is just one. I'm another." The Doctor faced her at every moment he could, truly interested in her words. "My ancestors were transplanted from the planet down below, I'm a direct descendant of the tropical rainforest."

The Doctor nodded, impressed. "Excuse me," he said politely as they came to a door. The Doctor took out the sonic screwdriver and whirred it over the door panel.

"And what about your ancestry, Doctor?" Jabe asked as he worked. "Perhaps you could tell a story or two. Perhaps a man only enjoys trouble when there's...nothing else left."

The Doctor didn't speak. He didn't even look at her.

"I scanned you earlier." Jabe confessed. "The metal-machine had trouble identifying your species. It refused to admit your existence. And when it named you, I wouldn't believe it. But Gabriel confirmed it. He could hardly believe it either but it was right." She edged closer and the Doctor paused his work. "I know where you're from. Forgive me for intruding, but it's remarkable that you even exist. I just wanted to say...how sorry I am."

Jabe's wooden hand gripped the Doctor's arm in comfort. The Doctor looked at her through glossy eyes, and gently placed his hand over hers. A tear slowly fell down the Doctor's cheek. The door unlocked, and the Doctor and Jabe hurried inside, saying no more on the matter.

Inside was a long bridge that led to what appeared to be switches. Spinning over the bridge, however, were three giant fans.

"Is it me or is it a bit nippy?" joked the Doctor, he looked up at the fans. "Fair do's though, that's a great bit of air conditioning. Sort of nice and old-fashioned. I bet they call it retro." The Doctor ran the sonic over another panel on the wall, a _ping_ indicated when it had been unlocked. "Gotcha!"

The panel came loose, and the Doctor heaved it off the wall, exposing wires and circuity and – a silver spider. It scampered out, stunning the Doctor and Jabe, as it made it's way up a wall.

"What the hell's that?" the Doctor muttered.

"Is it part of the 'retro'?" asked Jabe.

"I don't think so, hold on..."

The Doctor held up the sonic at the spider, but the distance is too far for the Doctor to aim well. Jabe pulled her arm back behind her head and whipped it out fast – a leafy creeper shot out of her wrist and whipped the spider off the wall, right into the Doctor's hand.

"Hey, nice liana."

"Thank you." Jabe blushed. "We're not supposed to show them in public."

"I won't tell anyone." the Doctor promised. He studies the spider. "Now then, who's been bringing their pets on board?"

"What does it do?"

"Sabotage."

" _Earth-Death in ten minutes,"_

"And the temperature's about to rocket,"

* * *

"The planet's end!" Cassandra called to the other guests. "Come gather, come gather! Bid farewell to the cradle of civilastion, let us mourn her with a traditional ballad."

One of the staff children started up the jukebox, and the room was filled with music.

" _Baby, can't you see? I'm calling, A guy like you, Should wear a warning"_

Gabriel sighed. "Well I can't bust my sexy moves without there being someone to impress," he told the Moxx. "I'm gonna go find Rose – and some stronger drink."

Gabriel wandered out to room in the direction of the viewing gallery, suspecting Rose to be hanging out there. As he rounded a corner that led to the gallery he bumped into a very frantic Doctor.

"Woah! What's up with you?"

"The sun filters," the Doctor explained quickly, running down the corridor with Gabriel in tow. "They're descending."

They arrived at the viewing gallery door, the sound of knocking came from inside.

"Anyone in there?" the Doctor asked.

" _Get me out!"_

"Rose?" Gabriel called.

"Oh, well it would be you, wouldn't it?" said the Doctor.

" _Open the door!"_ she cried.

"Hold on, give's two ticks..." the Doctor ran the sonic over the panels but nothing seemed to be working. "Can't you zap in and get her?" he asked Gabriel.

"No, not while the wards are up around the ship – there's no teleportation of any sort on the ship."

Suddenly, a computer voice from inside the gallery announced; _"Sun filter rising, Sun filter rising,"_

The Doctor smiled over at Gabriel, but-

" _Sun filter descending, Sun filter descending,"_

"Just what we need," muttered the Doctor. "The computer's getting clever."

" _Stop mucking about!"_

"I'm not mucking about!"

"Rose – it's fighting back!" explained Gabriel.

" _Open the door! Get me out!"_

The Doctor pushed the sonic further into the panel.

" _Sun filter rising, Sun filter rising,"_

Gabriel and the Doctor went to open the door, but it was stuck – the sun light had burned the other side of the door.

"The whole thing's jammed!" the Doctor called to Rose. "I can't open the door – right, Rose stay here with Gabriel!"

The Doctor ran off.

* * *

"The metal-machine confirms. The spider devices have infiltrated the whole of Platform One." Jabe stood in the centre of the main hall, addressing the other guests. The Doctor entered the room and took the spider from Jabe, fiddling with it.

"How's that possible?" said Cassandra. "Our private rooms are connected by a code wall – moisturise me, moisturise me."

"Summon the Steward!" suggested the Moxx.

Jabe hesitated. "I'm afraid the Steward is dead."

The guests and staff muttered to each other in shock.

"Who killed him?"

"This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe, he invited us!" exclaimed Cassandra. "Talk to the face!"

"Easy way of finding out," said the Doctor, he held up the spider. "Someone brought their little pet on board. Let's send it back to master."

The Doctor put the spider down on the marble floor and it glanced around at the guests. It crawled around and the froze in front of Cassandra but then it crawled over to the Adherents.

"The Adherents of the Repeated Meme! J'accuse!" said Cassandra.

"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious," said the Doctor strolling over to the group of Adherents. "But if you stop and think about it-"

The leader of the Adherents shot out it's metal claw of a hand, the Doctor grabbed it and ripped the claw apart from the body, revealing glowing tubes for limbs.

"A repeated meme is just an idea, and that's all they are, an idea-" The Doctor ripped out one of the tubes and the Adherents dropped to the ground – lifeless. "Remote control droids, nice little cover for the _real_ troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo." he said to the spider. "Go home."

The spider scuttled up to Cassandra, who sneered at the Doctor.

"I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed. At arms!" The moisturisers stepped forward with their sprays raised at the Doctor.

"What you gonna do?" he mocked. "Moisturise me?"

"With acid. You're too late anyway, my spiders have control of the mainframe. Ohh, you all carried them as gifts, tax-free, past every codewall, I'm not just a pretty face."

"Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside it, how stupid is that?"

"I'd hoped to manufacture a hostage situation." Cassandra explained. "With myself as one of the victims, the compensation would have been enormous."

"Five-billion years and it still comes down to money." the Doctor spat.

"Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am the _last human,_ Doctor, me. Not that freaky, little _kid_ of yours."

The Moxx spoke up. "Arrest her!"

"Oh, shut it, pixie! I've still got my final option-"

" _Earth-Death in three minutes,"_

"And here it comes. You're just as useful dead, all of you. I've got shares in your rival companies, they'll triple in price as soon as you're gone. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? Burn, baby, burn."

"Then you'll burn with us!" spat Jabe.

"Ohh I'm so sorry, I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but I'm such a naughty thing. Spiders! Activate!"

The ship jolted, and small explosions came from the vents. The guests jumped, and Cassandra smiled wickedly.

"Force fields gone, with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband. Oh, shame on me!" Cassandra and her moisturisers began to fade. "Bye-bye, my darlings!" And in a flash they were completely gone.

* * *

"-you'd think the sociopath father and psycho boyfriend would enough but _nope_. Ellie always wanted more." Gabriel sat with his back to the door, talking to Rose about his encounters with the human race. The corridor was empty, the Doctor still hadn't returned. "I think she was a bit of an adrenaline junk-"

The ship jerked, and explosion came from a vent close to the angel. Gabriel stood and as he did he could sense the wards around the ship being washed away.

"Rose," Gabriel called.

"Yeah?"

"Don't freak out."

In less than a second, with nothing but the sound of flapping wings, Gabriel vanished from the corridor and appeared in the viewing gallery. Rose let out a small scream and pressed her back further against the wall.

"I said not to freak out." Gabriel pouted.

" _Earth-Death in three minutes,"_

"What...how...what did you-?" Rose stuttered.

"I'm an archangel, I can do pretty awesome crap." He held his hand out to Rose who grabbed it quickly. "Don't worry, the art of zapping in and out of places doesn't hurt."

Rose closed her eyes tightly regardless, waiting for them to exist the room. Gabriel was silent and Rose opened her eyes – expecting to see Gabriel's smirking face and the corridor, but instead they were still in the gallery.

"What are you waiting for – zap us out!"

"I can't," said Gabriel. "The wards are back up."

" _Heat levels rising,"_

"And the safety systems have been messed with."

* * *

The Doctor and Jabe stood in the ventilation chamber, facing the bridge and fans. On the other side was the system restore switch and they only had two minutes to get to it. The only way to it was across the bridge and for that the fans needed to slow down and for the fans to slow down someone needed to keep hold down a metal lever – a metal lever that would heat up to the highest of temperatures with the ship. But the Doctor needed to get to that switch.

"You can't," the Doctor told Jabe as she held down the lever. "The heat's gonna vent through this place."

"I know."

"Jabe, you're made of wood."

"Then stop wasting time." Jabe gave the Doctor a flirty smile. "Time Lord."

The Doctor couldn't help but smile back. He ran across the bridge, pausing when he came to a fan to be sure to get passed it safely. He'd make the switch in time, Jabe won't die. She might get hurt, but she won't die – there was only one more fan to pass. But that's when he heard the agonising screams. The Doctor turned around and saw Jabe to be nothing but flames. He had failed to save her. And now the fans were back to their original speed – too fast for a person to get passed.

But the Doctor wasn't a person. Closing his eyes, the Doctor focused all his senses on the fan. With his eyes still closed the Doctor stepped through safely and ran to to the switch.

"Raise shields!"

* * *

Rose was gripping Gabriel's hand when they arrived in the main hall – the aliens around them were dealing with their shock, the staff going around with drinks – Rose couldn't believe how close she had come to death. No hope seemed to exist until the shields seemed to repair themselves, she knew it was all thanks to the Doctor. Gabriel didn't let go of Rose hand once – he had even hugged her when they believed that they were about to die. Despite his flirty, slightly cold nature, Gabriel had comforted Rose and she was grateful.

The Doctor stormed into the hall and through the crowds without even glancing at Rose. He made his way over to Jabe's friends – Lute and Coffa. He spoke to them quietly, and the trees began to cry.

"Jabe's dead," Gabriel explained to Rose softly. "She died saving everyone on the ship."

"How do you-?"

"Super hearing." He smiled. "Perks of being an angel."

With a grim expression, the Doctor paced over to Rose and Gabriel.

"All right?" Rose asked him.

"Yeah I'm fine." said the Doctor angrily, Rose tightened her grip on Gabriel's hand. "I'm full of ideas – bristling with them! Idea number one: teleportation through five-thousand degrees needs some sort of Feed. Idea number two: this feed must be hidden nearby – am I getting warmer, Gabriel?"

"I'd say so, Doc." muttered the archangel.

"Idea number three," The Doctor picked up the ostrich egg that Cassandra had brought as a gift and smashed it, revealing the feed. "If you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be _reversed_."

He twisted the dial on the feed and Cassandra appeared back in the room.

"The last human."

"So. You passed my little test. Bravo!" stuttered Cassandra. "This makes you eligible to join, um, the human club-"

"People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them."

"That depends on your definition of people. And that's enough technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court then, Doctor, and watch me smile and charm and-"

"And creak?"

"What?"

"Creak. You're creaking." explained the Doctor.

"Like a mattress in a cheap motel room," said Gabriel.

Cassandra was drying up and cracking, and it clearly pained her.

"Moisturise me! Moisturise me!" the moisturisers weren't with her. "It's too hot!"

"You raised the temperature," the Doctor mocked.

"Have pity! Moisturise me! Oh, oh, Doctor!"

Rose let go of Gabriel's hand and stood by the Doctor. "Help her." she begged quietly.

"Everything has its time." said the Doctor coldly. "And everything dies."

"I'm...too...young!" Cassandra wailed as her skin stretched and then it snapped and Cassandra exploded over the hall.

Rose stared at the now empty space, horrified, and the Doctor walked away.

* * *

"What will you do now?"

"Go visits some planets. Old friends. I think Ellie and Jim live on Mars now-"

"Seriously, Gabriel?"

Rose and Gabriel stood in the viewing gallery, watching the expanded sun. The archangel shrugged.

"Don't worry about me, Rose. I have places to go."

"Yeah, but..." Rose trailed off. She was going to ask Gabriel to travel with her and the Doctor, but it wasn't her place to offer.

"You could come with us." The Doctor walked towards them. "We've got plenty of room."

Gabriel chuckled. "No thanks. I've got some girls waiting for me on Mars anyway." He smirked at Rose. "But you, Rose Tyler. You will always be my one true love."

Rose laughed. "Shut up!"

Gabriel nodded at Rose and the Doctor. "See you two round." And without looking back, Gabriel walked out of the room.

Rose and the Doctor stood together in silence.

"That's it then." said Rose. "The Earth's dead. It's all gone. And we were too busy saving ourselves, no one saw it go. All these years, all that history, and no one was looking. It just..."

The Doctor held out his hand. "Come with me."

* * *

Rose walked out of the TARDIS into the crowds of Piccadilly Circus. She looks around at the people and the buildings, listening to the chatter and the cars, it's all so ordinary, so normal. It's nothing like she has experienced.

"You think it'll last forever," said the Doctor standing beside Rose. "People and cars and concrete. But it won't. One day, it's all gone – even the sky."

Rose glanced around, letting the Doctor's words soak in.

"My planet's gone." Rose snapped her head to face him. "It's dead. It burnt like the Earth, it's just rocks and dust. Before it's time."

"What happened?"

"There was a war. And we lost."

"A war with who?" The Doctor just stared ahead. "What about your people?"

"I'm a Time Lord. I'm the _last_ of the Time Lords. Just like how Gabriel's the last angel. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling on my own, 'cos there's no one else."

"There's me."

The Doctor gave Rose a serious look. "You've seen how dangerous it is. D'you want to go home?"

Rose thought about that hard. Go home and live safe with her Mum and Sebastian and Mickey...or travelling throughout time and space?

"I don't know. I want..." Rose paused, a familiar scent swam around her. "Can you smell chips?"

The Doctor smiled, "Yeah."

"I want chips."

"Me too."

"Right – before you get me back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay."

"No money."

"What sort of date are you? Come on, tightwad, chips are on me." Rose grinned. "We've only got five-billion years till the shops close."

* * *

 **.14:**

Thank you so much! It's been a long and slow process figuring out how to link everything together – I'm still struggling with it now! - but I'm glad that for now, everything seems to be flowing nicely. I have recently finished the official plan for Sherlock and company's first appearance, but I hoped you liked the little teaser in this chapter ;) Thanks for your review, I really hope you liked this chapter!

 **CallMeAnonymous9:**

Thanks! Hopefully I can somehow manage to keep things smooth throughout the story! Hope you liked this chapter, it was the best one to write so far.

* * *

 **Follow me on Tumblr:**


	3. Chapter 3

In honour of Benedict Cumberbatch and Jared Padalecki's joint birthdays, I have worked so hard to get this chapter done for today so I hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Amongst the Stars

Chapter 3: Heavenly Fire

" _I've come to believe that in everyone's life, there's one undeniable moment of change, a set of circumstances that suddenly alters everything."_

 _\- Nicholas Sparks; Safe Haven_

* * *

"Whoa! Easy, tiger!"

Sam Winchester breathed heavily and stared at the man pinning him to his own apartment floor.

"Dean?" he asked, receiving a short laugh in response. "You scared the crap out of me."

Dean smirked. "That's 'cause you're out of practice."

Sam grabbed Dean's hand and yanked him down, he slammed his bare foot into Dean's back and sent Dean to the floor.

"Or not." Dean chuckled as Sam pinned him down. "Get off of me."

Sam rolled to his feet and stood up, offering Dean a hand.

"Dean, what the hell are you doing here?"

Dean smirked and shook Sam lightly by the shoulders. "Well, actually, I was looking for a beer."

Even in the dark, Sam's glare was visable. "What the hell are you doing here?" he repeated slowly.

Dean held his hands up in defence. "Okay, alright, we gotta talk."

"Uh, the phone?"

"If I'd'a called, would you have picked up?"

Sam grimaced. He was about to tell Dean to get to his point but the lights were suddenly switched on.

"Sam?"

"Jess," A young woman stood by the door, wearing nothing but a small shirt and pyjama shorts. She looked at Dean in confusion, while Dean stared back. Sam grimaced again, this is not how he wanted Dean and Jess to ever meet. "Dean, this is my girlfriend, Jessica."

Jess smiled. "Wait, you're brother, Dean?"

"I love the Smurfs," said Dean pointed at the cartoon image printed over Jess' cleavage. "Y'know, I gotta tell you." Dean moved closer to Jess with a grin plastered on his face. "You are completely out of my brother's league."

"Just, let me go put something on,"

"Oh no," said Dean, stopping her as she turned around. "I wouldn't dream of it. Seriously." Dean turned back to Sam who stared at him with a stony expression. "Anyway, I gotta borrow your boyfriend here, talk about some private family business, but, uh, nice meeting you."

Sam swallowed. "No," he shoved passed Dean and stood besides Jess, his arm around her. "No, whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of her."

"Okay," Dean paused for a moment, choosing his words wisely. "Um. Dad hasn't been home in a few days."

Sam sighed, choosing his words wisely like his brother, aware of Jess' gaze on him. "So he's working overtime on a Miller Shift, he'll stumble back in sooner or later."

Dean ducked his head before looking back up.

"Dad's on a hunting trip. And he hasn't been home in a few days."

* * *

"Blimey..."

"Now don't laugh!"

"You look...beautiful." Rose couldn't stop the blush spreading across her cheeks at the Doctor's words. They'd seen the future and now they were back to 1860. Travelling back to 1860 meant that Rose needed to look the part, so the Doctor had sent her to the TARDIS wardrobe to get herself something appropriate for the era. Long dresses, corsets and small hair pieces, Rose thought she looked stupid, and she didn't expect the Doctor to think otherwise. "Considering."

"Considering what?" She tired to look offended.

The Doctor shrugged. "That you're human."

Rose rolled her eyes but kept the smile on her face. "I think that's a compliment," The Doctor grinned at her as he jumped up from the TARDIS floor (where he'd been doing a little maintenance work) and headed towards the exit. "Aren't you gonna change?"

The Doctor frowned, "I've changed my jumper! Come on-"

Rose ran to the TARDIS doors, pushing the Doctor back a little. "Erm, no, you've done this before, this is mine,"

Rose could barely hold back her excitement as she opened the TARDIS door to snowy Naples 1860. The scene was dimly lit by gas street lamps, and snowflakes fell gracefully to the ground. Rose looked around in awe at the beauty of everything. It was all so peaceful, there was no loud noises of cars or buses, and no one seemed to be in a hurry, pushing past each other. Once again, Rose found it hard to believe that she had just travelled through time.

"Right then," the Doctor stepped out next to her and locked the TARDIS door. "Read for this?"

Like a gentleman, the Doctor held out his arm for Rose to take – no man had ever offered Rose their arm before, the action made her feel quite giddy. Her smile never dropping, Rose took the Doctor's arm and the two strolled through the snowy streets.

"Here we go. History."

Rose was rather surprised that she didn't feel too cold walking around in the snow with only a short cape for a coat. She and the Doctor arrived to a town square, a few salesmen were still around. The Doctor bought a paper from one newsvendor, with a coin Rose didn't even know existed.

The Doctor looked down at his paper and grimaced.

"I got the flight a bit wrong." he told Rose carefully.

"I don't care." Rose really didn't, the past she'd been taken to was breathtaking, she loved it.

"It's not 1860, it's 1869."

"I don't care." Rose repeated.

"And it's not Naples,"

"I don't care."

"It's Cardiff."

Rose's smile fell and she stopped walking.

"...Right."

 _Cardiff._ Rose had been to Cardiff a few times, it never got better. And that was Cardiff in the twenty first century. _Might as well make the most of it._ She caught up with the Doctor and took his arm again, there would be something interesting and if not, Rose was sure they'd just travel elsewhere.

The Doctor and Rose walked a little longer, taking in the sights around them, enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. And then they heard it. An ear-piercing scream, followed by dozens of other screams. Rose looked around their surroundings in concern. _Was someone hurt? Is someone in danger?_ She looked at the Doctor for answers, but the alien only grinned.

"Now, that's more like it!"

The Doctor ran towards a large theatre where people were running out of in panic. Rose followed him closely, not wanting to get lost in the crowd, shoving passed the people to get inside.

The theatre was in chaos. Men and women were still running for the exits, screaming bloody murder. An elderly woman was slumped in her seat, unmoving; and a blue ghost-like creature was flying around the room, wailing and screaming with the audience.

"Fantastic!" said the Doctor at the sight before him. The joy he found in situations like this was still slightly frightening to Rose.

"What is it?" Rose asked in shock.

"A wraith!" The Doctor ran towards the theatre stage where an elderly man stood, watching the scene unfold before him. "Did you see where it came from?"

The man looked at the Doctor with cold eyes. "Ah! The wag reveals himself, does he?" The Doctor frowned. "Well, I trust you're satisfied!"

Ignoring the man's rant, the Doctor jumped up onto the stage, watching the wraith spiralling around the theatre.

"Oi! Leave her alone!"

The Doctor looked over at Rose as she yelled at a man and young woman who were carrying the old woman – who had been slumped in her seat upon the Doctor and Rose's arrival – out of the theatre.

"Doctor! I'll get them!"

"Be careful!" The Doctor called as Rose ran after the mysterious pair. "Did it say anything?" He asked the man who had been accusing him of ruining the evening's show – still on the stage. "Can it speak? I'm the Doctor by the way."

"Doctor indeed!" The man scoffed. "You look more like a navvy."

The Doctor frowned and tugged on his black sweater. "What is wrong with this jumper?"

There was suddenly a loud wail – louder than before. The Doctor looked back at the wraith and saw it slither away, into one of the gas lamps on the wall. As the wraith vanished, the gas-lighting rose.

"Gas," the Doctor murmured to himself. "It's made of gas."

"I beg your pardon?" said the man. The Doctor ignored him and jumped down off the stage. "What do you mean 'it's made of gas'? Who are you?" The man made his way down the stage stairs on thr right and followed the Doctor out of the room. "What an earth is going on?"

"I don't know yet," explained the Doctor as he and the man made their way through the theatre lobby and towards the front doors. "All I know is that the wraith we saw is made of gas. I don't know how it got here, I don't know what it's it doing here – I'm the Doctor by the way, I'm sure I said that before."

Once outside, the Doctor looked around for Rose, the man still with him, his confused expression never leaving his face. Squinting through the crowds of people, the Doctor saw the young woman Rose had been chasing.

Other the heads of passers by, the Doctor noticed that the young woman was putting a blonde haired girl in the back of a hearse. The Doctor's eyes widened in panic.

"ROSE!"

As fast as he could, the Doctor ran towards the hearse, but it rattled off before he reached it. Luckily the Doctor caught sight of the address on the side. _Sneed and Company – 7 Temperance Court, Llandaff._

"You're not escaping me, sir!" The man from the theatre called out, walking up to the Doctor, not noticing the alien's distress. "What do you know about that hobgoblin? A projection on glass, I suppose – who put you up to it?"

The Doctor looked around him, there had to be a carriage for him to use somewhere. "Yeah, thanks, not now, mate – Oi! You!" the Doctor spotted a coach of a splendid design, a lot nicer compared to the Sneed and Co. one that Rose had been taken away in. The Doctor hopped in the carriage. "Follow that hearse." he told the driver.

The young man shook his head. "Can't do that, sir."

The Doctor frowned. "Why not?"

"I'll tell you why not," the older man from the theatre said, opening the door. "I'll give you a very good reason why not. Because _this is my coach_!"

"Well get in then!"

The Doctor reached out and pulled the man inside, before yelling up at the driver, "Move!"

The coach rattled off, but not fast enough for the Doctor's liking. He smacked his hand on the carriage ceiling. "Come on! You're losing them!"

The driver looked through the small window behind him which allowed him to see the passengers. "Everything in order, Mr. Dickens?"

"No, it is not!" said the man angrily.

The Doctor's brow furrowed in thought. "What did he say?"

"Now let me say first, I'm not without a sense of humour but-"

"Mr. Dickens?" the Doctor interrupted.

"Yes."

A look of realisation burst onto the Doctor's face. "Charles Dickens?"

"Yes!"

" _The_ Charles Dickens?"

"Should I remove the gentleman, sir?" the driver asked.

"Charles Dickens!" The Doctor grinned. "You're brilliant, you are! Completely, one-hundred-per-cent brilliant! Me and my friend Ellie – well, I say friend, she's only ten, more like my god-daughter – anyway, we've read 'em all! _Great Expectations,_ I love that one. Ellie's favourite's are _Oliver Twist_ and – what's the one with the ghost?"

"Ah," Dickens anger faded away. "You mean the old bear Scrooge-"

"No, no, no, the one about the trains." The Doctor clicked his fingers. " _The Signalman,_ that's it! She loves that one – terrifying it is! Best short story ever! You're a genius. I wish I picked Ellie up now."

"D'you want me to get rid of him, sir?" The driver asked Dickens again.

"Um, no. I think he can stay."

"Honestly Charles – can I call you Charles? - Me and Ellie we're such big fans."

Dickens frowned. "Big what?"

"Fans. Number one fans, me and Ellie. She got the highest marks in her class for her homework once, she had to write a book report and she wrote four pages about _Hard Times,"_

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but how are you a 'fan' exactly? In what way do you resemble a means of cooling oneself?"

"No, it means fanatic." The Doctor explained. "Devoted to you! Mind you, I've got to say, that American bit in _Martin Chuzzlewit,_ what's all that about? Was that just padding or what, I mean, it's rubbish, that bit."

"I thought you were my...fan?"

"Oh well, if you can't take criticism. Go on, do the death of Little Nell. It cracks me up – no! Sorry, never mind that-" the Doctor banged on the ceiling again. "Faster! Come on!"

The coach picked up speed.

"The hearse we're following, who's inside it?" asked Dickens.

"My friend. She's only nineteen and it's my fault. She's in my care and now she's in danger."

"Then why waste my time with dry old books? This is far more important – driver!" he called to the young man. "Be swift! The chase is on!"

* * *

"So, you want to give us your real name?"

The sheriff slammed a storage box down on the table in front of Dean who sat slumped in his chair, not phased at all by his situation. The cops had discovered that Dean and Sam were, in fact, not Federal Marshals, and the brothers were tracked down to the motel where they had discovered that John had been staying for almost a month.

"I told you, it's Nugent. Ted Nugent."

After pick-locking their way into John's room, the boys had discovered that John had left Jericho in a hurry, leaving practically all his belongings behind. His duffle bag and clothes had been thrown across the unmade bed, leftover food was found rotting on the table, and several news articles and case studies were taped to the walls.

The sheriff sighed. "I don't think you realise just how much trouble you're in."

Amongst the articles, John had been working on the same job regarding Constance Welch, and he'd figured the whole thing out.

Constance Welch was a Woman in White. A spirit murdering unfaithful men.

"We talkin', like, misdemeanor kind of trouble or, squeal like a pig trouble?" Dean asked with a smile.

He'd been heading out for food when he was spotted by the cops. He quickly called Sam, telling him to get away and Dean's little brother hadn't been arrested yet.

"You got the faces of ten missing persons to your wall." Dean glanced away as the sheriff continued. "Along with a whole lot of Satanic mumbo-jumbo. Boy you are officially a suspect."

"That makes sense," Dean shot the sheriff a challenging look. "Because when the first one went missing in '82, I was three."

"I know you've got partners, one of 'em's apparently known as the Doctor-" Dean swallowed. "Maybe he started the whole thing." The sheriff started to shift through some items in the box. "Now tell me – _Dean –_ is this his?"

The sheriff tossed a thick, battered, leather journal down onto the desk. Dean knew that journal. He knew it like he knew his car's engine. Dean couldn't do anything but stare as the sheriff flicked through the pages.

"I thought that might be your name. See the boys, when they were searching through that motel room, they found a message on the wall," Dean looked up at the sheriff. "Underneath all those articles-"

"What did it say?"

The sheriff stared hard at Dean for a moment, like he was trying to decide whether or not Dean had a right to hear the message. "It said, _'Dean, Cas needs you,'_ signed, _"the Doctor'._ "

Dean frowned. _Cas needs you. Cas needs you?_

"Was there anything else, any other messages?"

"Yeah," smirked the sheriff. "But not on the wall."

He flicked through the journal again, stopping at a page. Dean leaned forward to read it's contents that had been written and circled in a black marker.

 _DEAN 35-111_

"Now, you're staying right here until you tell me exactly what the hell those messages mean."

* * *

Sneed and Company was a tall, plain town-house, with the black sign nailed above the door.

"Not exactly hidden," said the Doctor as he stepped out of the coach, Dickens following him. "Which makes it more dangerous – they're amateurs."

The Doctor found the hearse (which had been left in front of the building) empty. Which meant that Rose was inside.

"Doctor, let me lead," said Dickens, putting on his top hat and stepping in front of the Doctor. "Dressed like that, they'll show you to the tradesman's entrance."

The Doctor motioned towards the house. "Lead on then, Charlie."

Dickens frowned. "No one calls me Charlie."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow and gave Dickens a knowing look. "The ladies do."

Dickens' cheeks turned slightly pink from embarrassment, his eyes darted from the Doctor to the ground. "How do you know that?"

"Told you," the Doctor grinned. "I'm your-"

"'Number one fan', yes."

Dickens marched forwards, the Doctor walking next to him. Upon arriving at the front door, Dickens knocked heavily with the brass knocker and waited for response.

"Ellie found that out by the way," the Doctor told Dickens while they waited. "About you being called Charlie, surprising what a ten year old can find isn't it?"

Dickens glanced at the Doctor. "Ellie sounds delightful, I do hope you'll introduce us sometime."

The front door opened and the young woman from the theatre stood there nervous, not looking at either man.

"I'm sorry sir, we're closed." she said quickly.

"Nonsense," said Dickens calmly. "Since when did an undertaker's keep office hours? The dead don't die on schedule, now I demand to see your master-"

The Doctor glanced inside the house, it was clean and tidy and dimly lit by the gas-mantles, but suddenly the Doctor saw the an unnatural light blaze from the lamps.

"He's not in, sir-"

"Don't lie to me, child, summon him at once!"

Whispers could be heard now from the house. The Doctor tried to listen but couldn't make out what the voices were saying.

"I'm awfully sorry, Mr. Dickens, but the master is indisposed."

"Having trouble with your gas?" the Doctor asked, nodding his head towards the lamps. The young girl turned around to see the flame flicker madly.

"What in the Shakespeare is going on...?" Dickens muttered as the Doctor strolled inside and over to the gas-mantles. The whispers got louder as he got closer, he pressed his ear against the wall, listening for any sound.

"You're not allowed inside, sir-"

"There's something in the walls." The Doctor told the young woman who had turned pale. "The gas-pipes. Something's living inside the gas-"

" _LET ME OUT!"_

The Doctor jumped up away from the wall, "That's her!" he told Dickens, as he sprinted down the hallway, following Rose's cries.

Dickens and the young woman ran after the Doctor. The three were met by a middle aged man.

"How dare you, sir!" he sneered. "This is my house-!"

The Doctor barged past the man and towards a door where he could hear banging. The banging suddenly stopped and the Doctor heard Rose give out a muffled scream. Before Dickens or the others caught up to him, the Doctor kicked the door as hard as he could. The door slammed open as the others appeared behind the Doctor.

The room looked like a chapel of rest, two coffins stood opposite each other, empty. Ther residents stood in the centre of the room – a young man and the elderly woman from the theatre – Rose being held by the man.

The Doctor stepped forward, "I think this is my dance, thank you," he grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her out of the dead man's grip and into his arms.

"It's a prank." said Dickens. "Must be. We're under some mesmeric influence."

The Doctor stared at the dead before him. "No we're not. The dead are walking." He looked at Rose and smiled. "Hi."

"Hi," she breathed back, glancing behind her at the others. "Who's your friend?"

The Doctor grinned at her. "Charles Dickens."

Rose faced the dead again. "...Okay."

"My name's the Doctor, who are you then?"

* * *

"I don't know how many times I gotta tell you." sighed Dean. "It's my high school locker combo."

The sheriff sat across from Dean, holding his head up by his fist. He'd been interrogating Dean about the note found in the journal for the past ten minutes and the man wasn't giving up.

"We gonna do this all night?" Dean flashed him a cheeky, challenging look. "Okay, what about the message on the wall."

"I honestly don't know."

"Who – or what – is Cas?"

"No idea."

"Then who's the Doctor?"

There was a quick knock at the door and a deputy office leaned in, looking at the sheriff.

"We just got a nine-one-one," he said quickly. "Shots fired over at Whiteford Road."

 _Huh._ Dean thought. _How inconvenient._

The sheriff sighed and looked at Dean. "You have to go to the bathroom?"

* * *

Gwyneth – the young woman – could hear the Gelths, she always has. Not just that but she could always read the thoughts of other people. While Rose spoke to her alone, Gwyneth had been able to repeat Rose's thoughts about home, and her brother, and her mum, and her dad. Not even the Doctor knew about Rose's dad, so how on earth did Gwyneth?

The Doctor explained that Gwyneth is the key, and that they needed to summon the spirits to find out what they had to do to help them.

Rose, Dickens, Gwyneth, Sneed and the Doctor sat around a circular table in Sneed's parlour, preparing for the séance. Rose had never been involved in a séance, she'd seen them happen on TV, but she never knew how they worked.

"I've seen it done," Gwyneth explained to them, she was rather excited. "This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the land of mists, down in Butetown. Come, we must all join hands-"

"I can't partaker in this," said Dickens, rising from his seat.

"Humbug?" asked the Doctor. "Come on, open mind."

"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask. Seances! Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze-box concealed between the knees." said Dickens bitterly. "This girl knows nothing."

"Now don't antagonise her." The Doctor smiled at Gwyneth. "I love a happy medium."

Rose shook her head. "I can't believe you just said that."

"Come on, we might need you."

Dickens stood and glanced around the table before reluctently returning to his seat.

"Good man." The five held each others hands. "Now, Gwyneth, reach out."

A silence fell upon the group.

"Speak to us." Gwyneth said softly. "Are you there? Spirits, come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden..."

Whispers suddenly erupted and Gwyneth tilted her head back.

"Can you here that?" Rose asked the others.

Dickens rolled his eyes. "Nothing can happen. It's sheer folly-"

"Look at her."

The group looked towards Gwyneth as the whispers grew louder. She was rocking back and forth, her eyes darting across the ceiling.

"I see them!" Everyone looked up and saw the blue ectoplasm that had infected the corpses in the chapel of rest. "I feel them!"

The ectoplasm swam around the room, taking the form of the wraith. It swirled above the group, speaking, but the words were rising and falling too fast.

"What's it saying?" asked Rose.

"It can't get through the rift." The Doctor turned to Gwyneth. "Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now look deep," he told her urgently with gentleness. "Allow them through-"

"I can't-"

"Yes you can." Dickens and Sneed watch fearfully as the Doctor spoke to Gwyneth. "Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link."

Gwyneth closed her eyes tightly, almost as if she was struggling. Then her eyes snapped open. "Yes!" she said, and then she bolted up straight in her seat. The wraith flew above Gwyneth and it's energy burst. Three people-shaped gelths appeared behind Gwyneth.

"Great God!" whispered Sneed. "Spirits from the other side!"

The Doctor smiled. "The other side of the universe."

" _Pity us!"_ The wraith's voice was high and broken, like a wail. _"Pity the Gelth! There is so little time. Help us!"_

"What d'you want us to do?" the Doctor asked.

" _The rift. Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge."_

"What for?"

" _We are very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction! Our universe was destroyed, we have no where to go!"_

"Why, what happened?"

" _We once had a physical form, like you. But then the War came."_

"What war?" asked Dickens.

" _The Time War."_ Rose glanced at the Doctor, he allowed his eyes to flicker to hers briefly before looking away. _"The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state."_

"So that's why you need the corpses." The Doctor stated.

" _We want to stand tall. To feel the sunlight. To live again. We need a physical form and your dead are abandoned, they go to waste. Give them to us."_

"But we can't," said Rose.

"Why not?"

She looked at the Doctor. "It's not...I mean it's not..."

"Not decent? Not polite?" he offered. "It could save their lives."

Gwyneth groaned in pain, and the voices began to slowly fade.

" _Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us...Pity the Gelth!"_

* * *

"Fake nine-one-one phone call?" Dean grinned widely. "Sammy, I don't know, that's pretty illegal."

" _You're welcome."_

Dean was stood in a phone box, glancing around the streets for any cops. The sheriff had cuffed Dean before he left, however the idiot left the journal in there with Dean and the oldest Winchester had found a paper clip. A nice little way to break free.

Grabbing the journal and swiping a gun that had been left lying around, Dean managed to escape the station, and all thanks to Sam.

"Listen, we gotta talk,"

" _Tell me about it. So the husband_ was _unfaithful. We_ are _dealing with a woman in white. And she's buried behind her old house-"_

"Sam-"

" _So that would have been Dad's next stop-"_

"Sammy, would you shut up for one second?"

" _I just can't figure out-"_ Dean rolled his eyes and let Sam continue. "-w _hy Dad hasn't destroyed the corpse yet."_

"Well, that's what I'm trying to tell you." Sam didn't say anything else and listened to Dean. "He's gone. Dad left Jericho."

" _What? How d'you know?"_

"I've got his journal. Cops found it at the motel."

" _He doesn't go anywhere without that thing."_

"Yeah, well, he did this time." Although he'd never admit, Dean was worried. More worried than he had ever been. Dean didn't even know John had been headed to Jericho until a few days ago. John had told Dean over a month ago that he was heading to New York on a job. Did he lie? If so, why the hell did he lie to Dean?

" _What's it say?"_

"Same old ex-Marine crap, when he wants to let us know where he's going."

" _Coordinates. Where to?"_

"I'm not sure. By the way, sheriff told me that the Doctor left a message in the motel."

" _What?"_

"Said they found it written on the wall, saying 'Cas needs you'."

" _'Cas'? As in a person, a thing?"_

"I'm not sure. Look, we'll finish up here, and we'll try to get hold of the Doc, maybe he can help us find Dad."

" _Yeah, maybe. I just don't understand. I mean, what could be so important that Dad would just skip out in the middle of a job? Dean, what the hell is going on? WHOA!"_

"Sam?" Dean heard the screeching that he had known all his life, Sam was driving, and something had happened on the road. "Sam!"

It wasn't Sam who spoke, but a chilling female voice before the call cut off. _"Take me home."_

"Shit!"

* * *

Gwyneth lay on the chaise-longue, her skin white as chalk. Rose gently dabbed a wet cloth around her face. Her eyes flickered open.

"S'all right." said Rose when Gwyneth moved to sit up. "You just sleep."

"But my angels, miss!" said Gwyneth weakly. "They came, didn't they? They need me!"

Gwyneth looked around the faces in the room, all staring at her. Sneed and Dickens had helped themselves to large brandies, while the Doctor stood behind Rose.

"They do need you, Gwyneth," Rose turned around as the Doctor spoke. "You're their only chance of survival-"

"I told you, leave her alone." said Rose sharply. "She's exhausted, and she's not fighting your battles."

The Doctor sighed like he'd been told for the fifteenth time.

Rose turned back to Gwyneth and held up a glass of water. "Have a drink of this..."

"What did you say, Doctor?" asked Sneed. "Explain it again. What are they?"

The Doctor looked at Sneed. "Aliens."

"Like, foreigners, you mean?"

"Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there." The Doctor pointed upwards.

"Brecon?"

"Close. And they've been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff, but the road's blocked, only one or two can slip through – even then they're weak." The Doctor explained the situation like he was talking to a child, well, he supposed he was. "They can only test-drive the bodies for so long. They revert to gas and hide in the pipes."

"And that's why they need the girl," said Dickens.

"They're not having her." said Rose.

"But she can help. Living on the rift has made her part of it. Gwyneth can open up the rift, make a bridge, and let them through." The Doctor tried to reason with Rose but she refused to partake in his plan.

"Incredible." said Dickens, he was obviously slightly tipsy. "Ghosts that aren't ghosts but beings from another world. Only able to exist in our realm by inhabiting cadavers."

The Doctor nodded. "Good system – it might work."

Rose stood up from Gwyneth's side and looked angrily at the Doctor. "You can't let them run around inside dead people!"

"Why not?" The Doctor really couldn't see the problem. "It's just like recycling."

"Seriously though, you can't."

"Seriously though, I can."

"But it's just...wrong! Those bodies were living people. We should respect them, even in death."

The Doctor folded his arms. "D'you carry a donor card?"

Rose was exasperated. "But that's different, that's-"

"It is different, yeah. It's a different morality. Get used to it, or go home."

The Doctor and Rose stared at each other – Rose felt like she had just been slapped in the face, the Doctor's words stung and burned her in ways she never thought possible.

"You heard what they said," the Doctor said more calmly. "Time is short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last few Gelth could be dying."

"I don't care," argued Rose. "You're not using her-"

"Don't I get a say, miss?"

Rose turned around to face Gwyneth whose face has regained some of it's colour, she sat up, more awake.

"Well, yes, but...you don't understand what's going on-"

"You would say that, miss, 'cos that's very clear inside your head. That you think I'm stupid."

"That's not fair-"

"But it's true though. Things might be very different where you're from, but here and now, I know my own mind. And the angels need me." Rose looked away in defeat. "Doctor, what do I have to do?"

The Doctor looked at Rose for a while before looking at Gwyneth. "You don't _have to_ do anything."

"They've been singing to me since I was a child. Sent by my Mam on a holy mission." Gwyneth smiled. "So tell me."

The Doctor smiled brightly. "We need to find the rift. This house is a weak spot," the Doctor began pacing around the room. "So there must be one spot that's weaker than any other. Mr. Sneed – what's the weakest part of this house? The place where the most ghosts have been seen?"

"That would be," Sneed swallowed. "The morgue."

* * *

Sam cried out in agony as gun shots were fired. The woman in white vanished and Sam grabbed the wheel. He glared angrily at the house in front of him.

"I'm taking you home."

Sam pressed his foot down on the gas pedal and drove towards the house.

"SAM!" Dean yelled as he ran after the Impala.

With a crash, Sam drove straight throw the walls and into the aging house. The impact of the crash, shook Sam a little.

"Sam?" Dean called out, making his way through the wreck of the house. "Sam, you okay?"

"I think..." Dean opened up the car door, the knelt down to see Sam's face.

"Can you move?"

"Yeah, help me?" Dean placed an arm around Sam's waist and hauled him out.

"There you go – crap." Sam looked up to see the woman glaring at them, a picture frame clutched tightly in her hands. She throw the picture down and moved a bureau across the house towards Sam and Dean. The furniture slammed into the two brothers, pinning them to the car.

" _Mommy..."_ A child-like whisper came from the staircase. The woman heard it and looked up. Water dripped down the stairs, every drop echoing. The woman looked up at the spirits of her son and daughter. _"You've come home to us, Mommy..."_

Suddenly the children appeared and wrapped their arms tightly around the distraught Constance Welch. She screamed in pain, her image flickering, as she and her children melted into nothing but a puddle of water.

Glancing at each other, Dean and Sam pushed the bureau aside and walked over to the puddle.

"So this is where she drowned her kids," Dean mused.

Sam nodded. "That's why she could never go home. She could never face them."

"You found her weak spot. Nice job, Sammy." Dean slapped Sam on his injured chest and walked towards the car.

Sam gave a pain filled laugh. "Yeah, I wish I could say the same for you. What were you thinking shooting Casper in the face, you freak?"

"Hey. Saved your ass." Dean leaned over to inspect the Impala. "I'll tell you another thing. If you screwed up my car – I'll kill you."

* * *

When Rose was five, her mum started leaving her and Sebastian alone in the flat. Sebastian was thirteen and usually stopped at home by himself so taking care of Rose would be no probably for him. However he was a teenage boy and wanted to watch a horror film. Rose was sat on the floor playing with her dolls when the film came on, she could never remember what it was called but there was a morgue scene that scared her more than anything else.

The morgue in the basement of Sneed and Company, reminded her of that horror film. She remembered watching as the psychopathic killer tortured an innocent woman. She remembered how Sebastian had gone to pay for a pizza delivery at the time so he didn't know that Rose was watching the film. She remembered throwing up all over the carpet.

A few corpses lay covered on wooden trollies, there was an iron-gated sluice at the end of long room, and a strong stench of rotting bodies in the air.

"Huh, talk about bleak house." The Doctor commented.

"Thing is, Doctor," Rose's voice shook. "The Gelth don't succeed, 'cos I know they don't. I know for a fact that corpses weren't walking around in eighteen-sixty-nine."

"Time's in flux," explained the Doctor. "Changing every second. Your comfy little world could be rewritten like that-" the Doctor snapped his fingers. "Nothing is safe – remember that. Nothing."

"Doctor," said Dickens. "I think the room is getting colder."

The whispers flew into the morgue, hissing louder and louder.

Rose sighed. "Here they come."

The only light in the room dimmed as blue ectophalsm flew from the gas-matle, forming a hazy, blue Gelth before the group.

" _You have come to help! Praise the Doctor! Praise him!"_

"Promise you won't hurt her." said Rose.

" _Hurry! Please! So little time. Pity the Gelth!"_

"I'll take you somewhere after the transfer." said the Doctor. "Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, all right?"

"My angels," murmured Gwyneth. "I can help them live."

The Doctor paused for a moment. Everything Rose had argued to him came flooding into his mind. He questioned himself whether or not he was doing the right thing.

"Okay," he finally said. "Where's the weak point?"

" _Here! Beneath the arch!"_

Gwyneth walked forwards and stood underneath the arch, just under the Gelth. Rose rushed after her and grabbed her hands.

"You don't have to do this,"

Gwyneth reached out and touched Rose's cheek. "My angels."

" _Establish the bridge! Reach out to the void. Let us through!"_

The Doctor pulled Rose away from Gwyneth as the young woman stared unblinkingly ahead.

"Yes! I can see you. I can see you! Come!"

The Doctor, Rose, Dickens and Sneed watched with held breaths.

" _Bridgehead establishing,"_

"Come to me. Come to this world. Poor lost souls,"

" _It has begun! The bridge is made."_

Gwyneth's mouth opened and ectoplasm swam out.

" _She has given herself to the Gelth!"_

The others watched as dozens of Gelth flew around the morgue. More seemed to be coming. Gelth after Gelth after Gelth, hundreds pouring out.

"Rather a lot of them," muttered Dickens.

" _The bridge is open! We descend!"_

Suddenly the beautiful Gelth transformed into a creature of nightmares, a vicious smile on it's face as it mockingly laughed.

" _The Gelth will come through in force!"_

"You said that you were few in number!" yelled Dickens.

" _A few billion! And all of us in need of corpses!"_

The Doctor glanced at Rose, his eyes full of sorry and regret.

"Now Gwyneth," Sneed stepped forward trying to get to the woman. "Stop this, there's a good girl. Listen to your master! This has gone far enough, now stop dabbling, child, and leave these things alone, I beg of you."

Gwyneth did not respond – she _couldn't_ respond.

One of the circling Gelths plunged down towards one of the covered corpses – the one closest to Sneed.

"Mr. Sneed, get back!" Rose yelled but the corpse sat up and grabbed Sneed. The Doctor pulled Rose back, and Dickens jumped to the side; they watched in horror as the corpse snapped Sneed's neck, killing him. Once the undertaker was dead, a Gelth poured itself into his mouth. Slowly, Sneed looked up at Rose and the Doctor – his eyes stone cold.

"I think it's gone a little bit wrong."

" _I have join the legions of the Gelth."_ said Sneed. _"Come, march with us."_

Dickens took another step back. "Oh, Glory!"

" _We need bodies. All of you, dead. The human race, dead,"_ The corpses dragged their feet towards Rose and the Doctor. _"Fit only to become our vessels. The Gelth shall march in victory!"_

The Doctor held his arm out in front of Rose as they backed away from the Gelth.

"Gwyneth! Stop them!" The Doctor called out. "Send them back!"

" _Three more bodies! Convert them!"_ The Gelth above Gwyneth said. " _Make them your vessels!"_

The Doctor looked over at Dickens who had managed to make his way to the door unseen.

"Doctor, I'm sorry! This new world of yours is too much for me!"

The Doctor pulled Rose into the sluice, slamming the iron gates shut behind them. The corpses reached through the bars, trying to grab them.

"I'm so sorry-!" Dickens fled from the morgue, leaving Rose and the Doctor trapped.

" _Give youself to glory! Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth!"_

The Doctor and Rose stood with their backs against the wall, breathing heavily, Rose had gone pale from fear.

"I trusted you!" The Doctor spat at the Gelth. "I pitied you!"

" _We don't want your pity! We want this world and all its flesh."_

"Not while I'm alive."

" _Then live no more."_

The corpses began shaking the gate bars, they were bound to pull it off it's hinges.

"But I can't die." said Rose. "Tell me I can't. I haven't even been born yet, it's impossible for me to die. Isn't it?"

The Doctor looked at Rose. "I'm sorry."

"But it's _eighteen-sixty-nine,_ how can I die now?"

"Time isn't a straight line, it can twist into any shape. Believe me, I've seen it happen before. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth, and it's all my fault. I brought you here."

"It's not your fault. I wanted to come."

"What about me? I saw the fall of Troy. World War Five. I was pushing boxes at the Boston Tea Party. Now I'm gonna die in a dungeon...in Cardiff!"

"And it's not just dying. We become one of them." The Doctor and Rose pressed their backs further against the wall as one of the corpses leered forward. "We'll go down fighting, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Together?"

"Yeah."

Rose wrapped her hand around the Doctor's, their fingers weaving together. He smiled at her.

"I'm so glad I met you." He told her.

Rose smiled back. "Me too."

"Doctor!" Rose and the Doctor looked away from each other as Dickens ran into the morgue. "The gas! Turn on the gas – all of it, now!"

Dickens raced over to the gas-mantle and twisted the tap, letting the gas hiss out.

"What are you doing?" the Doctor asked.

"I might be an old fool but I understand basic science, sir! Turn on quickly, turn on the gas, fill the room!"

"Brilliant! Gas!"

The Doctor followed Dickens instructions and turned on the gas-tap in the sluice.

"What, so we choke to death instead?" yelled Rose.

"Am I correct, Doctor?" asked Dickens. "They're gaseous creatures-"

"Fill the air with gas – it'll draw them out of the host, suck them back into the air, like poison from a wound-"

"Oh, I hope – Oh lord-!"

The elderly woman and young man from earlier that night walked in the morgue, and cornered Dickens with the other corpses.

"I hope this theory will be validated soon. If not immediately."

"Plenty more!" The Doctor tore the gas pipe off the wall and the Gelth shirked as they were sucked out of their vessels.

"It's working," Dickens confirmed, pressing his handkerchief to his mouth and nose. The Doctor and Rose (her hand over her face) ran out of the sluice, over to Gwyneth.

"Gwyneth!" yelled the Doctor. "Send them back! They lied, they're not angels!"

The ectoplasm that had circled Gwyneth faded away and she regained a conscious state.

"Liars?" she asked in a small voice.

"Look at them. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you strength. Now send them back!"

Rose let out a strangled cry. "Can't breath-!"

"Charles, get her out."

"I'm not leaving her!"

"They'd too strong..." Gwyneth murmured.

"Remember that world you saw? Rose's world? All those people, none of them will exist, if you don't send them back through the rift."

"Can't send them back...But I can hold them. Hold them in place. Hold them here..." Gwyneth reached into her pocked and pulled out a small box of matches. "Get out."

"You can't!" Rose screamed, running towards. The Doctor grabbed her and pulled her back.

"Rose, get out, go now. I won't leave her while she's still in danger. Now go!"

Rose and Dickens ran out of the morgue, coughing and supporting each other.

The Doctor held out his hand to Gwyneth. "Come on. Leave that to me-"

Gwyneth just stared ahead, her eyes meeting the wall and not the Doctor's. Her body and facial expression were frozen. The Doctor reached out his hand to feel Gwyneth's neck. She didn't respond and she was ice cold.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor kissed her forehead and whispered, "Thank you." before running out after Rose and Dickens.

The Doctor managed to just make it outside when the house exploded. Pieces of glass and wood flying around him as he hit the snowy ground. Rose and Dickens ran forward to help him up. Rose looked around for Gwyneth and then looked at the Doctor.

"She didn't make it..."

"I'm sorry." said the Doctor. "She closed the rift."

"At such a cost." said Dickens softly. "The poor child."

"I did try, Rose, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least five minutes."

"What d'you mean?"

"I think she was dead the minute she stood in that arch."

Rose looked back at the house, where her friend had perished to save the world. And no one would ever know.

* * *

The Impala tore down the road, leaving Jericho. Dean hummed along to his music as Sam tracked the coordinates (35-111) on a large map.

"Okay," said Sam after a while. "Here's where Dad went. It's called Blackwater Ridge, Colorado."

Dean gave a single nod. "Sounds charming, how far?"

"About...six-hundred miles."

Dean thought about that for a moment and grinned at Sam. "Hey, if we shag ass or find the Doc, we could make it by morning."

Sam looked at his brother, opened his mouth to say something and closed it again. He didn't need to say anything though, Dean could see it all over his face.

"You're not going."

"The interview's in like...ten hours, I gotta be there." Dean thought back a few days ago. _It's a law school interview and it's my whole future on a plate._

Dean nodded, not letting his disappointment show. "Yeah. Yeah, whatever. I'll take you home."

* * *

"Right then, if you don't mind, Charlie boy, I've just got to pop into my um...shed. Won't be long."

The Doctor headed inside the TARDIS, leaving Rose and Dickens outside.

"What are you going to do now?" Rose asked him.

"I shall take the mail-coach back to London, quite literally post-haste, it's the wrong time of year to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family, and try to make amends." Dickens smiled widely. "After all I've seen tonight there's nothing more vital."

The TARDIS doors squeaked open and the Doctor reappeared with a small hard back book in his hand.

"Here we are, promised Ellie I'd get her this in first addition," He handed Dickens the copy of _Oliver Twist._ "Would you mind signing it for her?"

Dickens smiled wider. "Of course, Doctor. It would be an honour."

The Doctor took a pen out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Dickens who stared at it in confusion.

"Modern technology, that is," the Doctor explained. "The ink's inside a plastic shell. Genius invention."

Dickens struggled at first but managed to get the hang of it, Rose held back a laugh as she watched him.

" _Dear Ellie_ ," Dickens read out loud as he wrote. " _Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts. I hope we will have the honour of meeting soon, Charles Dickens."_

Dickens blew over the ink thinking he needed to dry it before he handed the book and pen back to the Doctor.

"Thanks."

"Charles was just saying, he's going to spend Christmas with his family." Rose explained.

"After all," said Dickens. "Christmas is a joyous occasion to spend with ones loved ones."

The Doctor grinned. "You've cheered up."

"Exceedingly!" Dickens chuckled. "This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I've barely started. And what an appetite I have, Doctor! All these huge, wonderful notions! I am inspired – I must write about them!"

"D'you think that's wise?" Rose asked him.

"Oh, I shall be subtle at first. _The Mystery of Edwin Drood_ still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle, perhaps he was not of this earth! _The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals!_ I can spread the word, and tell the truth!"

The Doctor held out his hand for Dickens to shake. "Good luck with it. Nice to meet you. Fantastic."

"Bye then. And thanks." Rose leaned over and gave Dickens a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh my dear," Dickens cheeks shaded pink. "How modern. Thank you. I hope to see you both again sometime, and Ellie with you."

"Definitely." The Doctor promised, opening the TARDIS door.

"But I don't understand, in what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?"

"Into the shed." The Doctor smirked. "You'll see."

"'Pon my soul, it's one riddle after another with you. But Doctor – in amongst all the revelations, there's one mystery you haven't explained. Answer me this. Who are you?"

The Doctor glanced at Rose, then back at Dickens. "Just a friend. Passing through."

"But you have such knowledge of future times. I don't wish to impose on you, but I must ask you," Dickens hesitated before asking. "My books. Doctor, do they last?"

"Oh yes."

"For how long?"

"Forever." Dickens could see that the Doctor truly meant it, he wasn't exaggerating or lying. "Right. Shed. Come on, Rose."

"In the box? Both of you?"

"Down boy." The Doctor grinned. "See ya."

With one last smile at Dickens, Rose followed the Doctor inside the TARDIS.

"Doesn't that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?" She asked.

"In a week's time, it's eighteen-seventy. And that's the year he dies." The Doctor gave Rose a sad smile. "Sorry. He'll never get to tell his story."

Rose looked at the TARDIS screen with the Doctor, they saw Dickens still standing outside, staring at the TARDIS in wonder.

"Oh no. He was so nice."

"I'll have to make sure I bring Ellie to see him closer to now. He'll be disappointed if he'd never get to meet her, and she'd be upset if we came and he was ill and dying."

"Hang on, who's Ellie? You've never said."

"A friend of mines' daughter. You'd like her." The Doctor looked at the TARDIS screen again, Dickens was still outside. "Let's give him one last surprise."

And in the early hours of Christmas morning, Charles Dickens watched in awe as the TARDIS vanished before his eyes.

* * *

Dean and Sam pulled up outside Sam's apartment block. The car was silent, Dean had turned the radio down and neither brother knew what to say. Sam got out the Impala, and leaned over to look at Dean through the window.

"Call me if you find him?"

"Dad or the Doctor?"

"Both." Sam paused for a moment. "And maybe I can meet up with you later?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, all right."

Sam turned to enter the building. Dean bit his lip, debating on something to say. "Sam?" he called. "Y'know, we made a hell of a team back there."

The brothers smiled at each other, before Dean, realising that someone needed to go first, drove away.

The lights were off when Sam arrived at his apartment.

"Jess?" he called. "You home?"

Walking through the kitchen, Sam found a plate of chocolate chip cookies with a note. _Missed you! Love you!_

Sam smiled and walked into the bedroom, the shower could be heard running so Jess was there.

With a sigh, Sam lay back on his bed, closing his eyes. He flinched when something suddenly dripped onto his forehead, and again when a second drop followed. Sam opened his eyes and they widened in horror.

Spread across the ceiling, with her stomach cut open was Jess.

"No!" Screamed Sam. "Jess!"

Jess burst into flames and Sam watched as the fire covered, crying and choking out her name. Sam didn't realise when Dean raced into the bedroom.

"Sam!"

Dean ran over to his little brother. Sam grabbed Dean jacket, and cried out. "It got Jess! It got Jess!"

Dean looked up at the ceiling, realising what had happened. Ignoring the painful flashbacks of what happened twenty-two years ago, Dean hauled Sam to his feet and pushed towards the door.

"Come on, we gotta go!"

"No, Dean – please! - Jess!" Sam cried and screamed all the way out of the building, collapsing to the floor once they were outside.

Dean knelt down besides his brother, and held him against his chest, with one hand wrapped around his head. "It's okay, Sammy." Dean murmured, his gaze on the burning building as memories flooded back into his mind. "It's gonna be okay. I got you baby brother. I got you."

* * *

After a much needed shower and a change of clothes, Rose skipped back to the TARDIS console room, where the Doctor was running around in a panic.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Something's happened to some friends of mine – I need to go help-" The Doctor pulled down a lever, "Hold on to something!"

"But where are we going?"

"America."

* * *

Dean stood amongst the building residents, cops and fire-fighters. They had told the public that there had been a gas leak, which meant that Sam wouldn't be questioned by anyone. There were several sirens erupted around the block. Another fire truck was on it's way and an ambulance had just arrived, and something else was arriving too. Something Dean and Sam needed more than anything else.

Dean turned around and saw the TARDIS. The familiar doors squeaked open and the Doctor stepped out, looking over at the building and then Dean who made his way over.

"You got my call then," Dean said in gretting.

"TARDIS picks up distress calls." The Doctor glanced behind him as Rose came out. "Dean Winchester, Rose Tyler."

"Dean Winchester?" Rose repeated, her eyes wide.

"You know me?" Dean's eyebrows pulled together.

"You're Sebastian Moran's cousin, I'm his sister."

"Wow," Dean gave her a small smile. "Well, it's great to meet you. Um..."

Dean glanced behind him and looked at Sam who stood with his back to them, sorting through the guns in the Impala's trunk.

"How is he?" The Doctor asked.

Dean shrugged. "He hasn't said much since I got him out. Come on," Dean led the Doctor and Rose over to Sam. "Hey Sammy? The Doctor's here..."

Sam glanced up and looked from Dean to the Doctor with a blank expression, Rose had never seen someone look so broken.

"I'm sorry, Sam." said the Doctor. Sam only nodded in response.

Dean cleared his throat. "Sam, you remember Uncle Issac? Remember the photo I showed you of the two of us and Sebastian?" Sam nodded. "Well, this is Rose...Sebastian sister."

Sam glanced at her, and she looked back at him sadly. The Doctor had explained to her in the TARDIS what had happened to Sam's girlfriend Jess. Rose didn't realise at the time that Sam was Sam Winchester. She had seen photos of Sebastian when he was younger with his cousins, but she never thought she'd meet them. And under the circumstances it was cruel that this had to be the way they met.

"Hi," Sam choked out at her before returning to the guns. Rose swallowed when she saw the collection of weapons the brothers had in their car, she grow rather scared, despite the Doctor's obvious trust in the Winchesters.

"We're going to stick around for a bit, Sam," the Doctor explained. "We're going to help in every way we can."

Sam nodded and threw the shotgun he'd been seeing to into the trunk. "We got work to do."

* * *

 **DemolitionLove14:**

Thanks again! So glad you enjoyed chapter 2 – I hope you loved all the little mentions in this one! Gabriel is my all time Supernatural favourite and I just had to write him in that chapter to cross things over a little more – probably a bad decision because I have no idea of how anything is really gonna go after this first fanfic (I'm sure I'll figure it all out!).


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